A French Left Alliance politician was convicted of domestic violence in December. His party suspended him for a few months. Nevertheless, he has already returned to the National Assembly as a non-attached party. That causes a lot of criticism.
Adrien Quatennens, a politician with the French left-wing populist party “La France Insoumise” (LFI), publicly admitted in September that he had slapped his wife. He had that too star reported. In December, a court sentenced him to a four-month suspended prison sentence for domestic violence. His party suspended him for four months. Nevertheless, Quatennens returned to the French National Assembly last week, initially as a non-attached MP.
The slap in the face was made public through court documents during the Quatennens couple’s ongoing divorce process. Quatennens admitted them shortly thereafter and publicly expressed his remorse. There were upheavals in his party and in the entire left-wing alliance “Nupes” because some party colleagues openly supported Quatennens. LFI founder Jean-Luc Mélenchon in particular was sharply criticized for expressing “trust and affection” for Quatennens, a close confidante of his, on Twitter. Mélenchon also described his return to the National Assembly last week as correct because he had had a “long sentence”.
Domestic violence: Céline Quatennens reports on years of “mental and psychological violence”
In November last year, Céline Quatennens made further allegations. According to her statement, the slap in the face was not a one-off freak out by her husband. She told AFP that he had subjected her to “physical and psychological violence” for several years. Adrien Quatennens had these allegations denied by his lawyer. Nevertheless, after the new allegations became known, his party initially refrained from returning to the National Assembly in the near future. They said they wanted to wait for a court decision. After Quatennens was convicted, the suspension followed. Whether this will be extended after the four months and what his future in the National Assembly looks like is uncertain. The President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, spoke publicly this week on the France 2 TV channel in favor of Quatennens standing for re-election as an MP and letting the electorate decide on his final return.
The MP’s return is seen critically from other quarters. Aurore Bergé, leader of Macron’s “Renaissance” party, made it clear on French television that, in her view, Quatennens could no longer have a seat in the National Assembly. “We’re not going to let that happen,” she said. She described Mélenchon’s support for his political comrade as “an insult to all women who are victims of domestic violence.” Socialist MP Olivier Faure said his party had called for a total expulsion from the party rather than a temporary suspension, according to French media reports.
Allegations against MPs across party lines
The case of Quatennens and the debates that erupted over it are not unique in France. In the last year alone there have been several allegations of physical and sexual assaults against LFI MPs, but also beyond the left alliance. About Jérôme Peyrat, who worked for the “Ensemble!” party last year. ran for parliament, it had become known that he had been convicted of domestic violence against his then partner in 2020. He then withdrew his candidacy – but he still holds office as mayor of the municipality of La Roque-Gageac.
Macron’s former Minister for Solidarity and People with Disabilities, Damien Abad, has been accused of sexual assault by several women, including rape in one case. The woman who accuses him of rape reported him, and an investigation was launched against Abad, which is ongoing. He vehemently denies all allegations, and Abad has not yet been convicted. Nevertheless, he had to resign from office in July 2022 after just two months. As a member of his parliamentary group, he is also back in the National Assembly.
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After the Quatennens case became known, a collective of more than 500 feminists openly denounced the accusations against various politicians and the political treatment of them in the daily newspaper “Libération” in September. There is a cross-party problem of attacks and a “male solidarity” that protects the perpetrators.
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Source: Stern
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