A resignation then a response that points directly to the environmentalists’ internal investigative unit. After leaving his post at the head of Europe Écologie-Les Vert this Monday morning, Julien Bayou, accused by his former partner of psychological violence, responded with the voice of his lawyer. Several members of his party lament his position.
“Four times, Julien Bayou requested in writing to be heard before this cell (for the fight against sexual and gender-based violence), which was purely and simply denied,” said his lawyer Marie Dosé on Monday, specifying that “he had never exerted the least psychological violence”.
“He always agreed with the functioning of the cell”
This device is “incapable of functioning respecting the slightest fundamental principle”, further advances its defender, lamenting “an instrumentalization” “for political purposes”.
Within the party that was the first in France to have this body type in 2016, the blow is hard.
“He was still our boss for almost three years and he was always in agreement with the operation of the cell, until he got worried about it,” laments an elected environmentalist to BFMTV.com.
“We do not do the opposite for others”
Until now, Julien Bayou had not criticized the procedure related to his former partner’s complaint. His case had gone unnoticed despite his comments on the case over the summer in the columns of the Figaro.
But an interview with Sandrine Rousseau on September 19 changes the situation. The environmentalist parliamentarian talks about the work of the internal unit in the Bayou case on France 5 and explains that the body is working on accusations of “behavior likely to undermine the moral health of women”. What highlighted the work of the party in the matter.
On the EELV site, the device seems very clear: it provides that the complainant is first received by cell phone, after she has made her complaint. Then, the members of the body collect testimonies that can refute or confirm the alleged facts. The accused is received at the end of the procedure before the unit proposes possible sanctions.
“We don’t do anything different for others than Julien Bayou and that’s normal. I hear the complaints about the slowness, but the report was done just before summer break. The work is being done by volunteers and obviously they’re not on the job yet.” end of their investigations”, advances by way of explanation the environmentalist senator Raymonde Poncet.
“The time of the news and the time of the procedure”
The criticism goes even worse when the party’s former number one last winter supported the protocol changes, now giving the cell the power of interim sanctions.
“Obviously we can improve our processes, perhaps decide to give ourselves a deadline to issue conclusions,” acknowledges however Hélène Hardy, a member of the party’s executive bureau.
The members of the cell put a snag to their request: the difficulty of setting a date for the end of the procedure while the dates of the hearings of the different people are sometimes difficult to set quickly. An audit of its operation is scheduled for 2023 and could lead to changes.
“We know that Julien was pressured by the fact that he broke the media sound barrier. We have a real problem, between the moment of the news and the moment of our procedure”, recognizes an EELV deputy.
Tensions between Rousseau and Bayou
If certain criticisms from Julien Bayou’s lawyer were right, the party’s questioning nevertheless goes awry in the ranks of environmentalists, after a presidential election considered disappointing and an internal election to name his successor next winter. A phrase of Marie Dosé particularly upset.
“Everyone knows that the congress of environmentalists is held at the end of the year. Political ambition cannot justify all crusades ”, launched her defender, pointing to Sandrine Rousseau, without naming her.
Speaking “in the next few days”
Some internally believe that the release of the ecofeminist on television is explained in part by the upcoming internal elections that will oppose Mélissa Camara, one of her close friends, with Marine Tondelier, close to the now former national secretary.
“I don’t see it as a political coup by Sandrine Rousseau. She spoke about a subject that is hers: the defense of women’s rights. I don’t think she necessarily had a political agenda in her head”, clarifies Hélène Tardy, member of the executive board.
Tensions could still rise a bit. Julien Bayou is due to speak “in the next few days,” his attorney said.
Source: BFM TV
