LFI deputy Aurélien Saintoul criticized the minister for having “lied” about the number of deaths at work, accusing him of being an “impostor” and an “assassin”. After a suspension of the session, Aurélien Saintoul apologized to Olivier Dussopt.
LFI MP Aurélien Saintoul on Monday accused Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt of being an “impostor” and an “assassin”, immediately causing a suspension of the Assembly during already heated debates on pensions.
Aurélien Saintoul criticized the minister for having “lied” about the number of deaths at work, also accusing him of “felony”. Cries resounded and Olivier Dussopt left the hemicycle during the suspension pronounced by the vice-president of the Assembly Sébastien Chenu. The session resumed nearly thirty minutes later with applause for the Minister.
“It is unacceptable, unthinkable that we continue in this verbal escalation. We can in no way treat Minister Olivier Dussopt as an assassin within the precincts of this hemicycle”, denounced the president of the Renaissance deputies Aurore Bergé, who demanded an “apology”.
The LFI deputy acknowledged “a mistake” and apologized
Several opposition leaders from both left and right have asked the LFI deputy to apologize. “We cannot directly tax the minister […] of assassin”, reacted the deputy PS Olivier Faure, estimating that Aurélien Saintoul “should apologize for it”.
“Here, none of us is an assassin”, assured the deputy Cyrielle Chatelain of EELV while André Chassaigne and his colleagues from the PCF said they were “shocked” by the words of the deputy LFI.
Aurélien Saintoul finally “addressed his public apologies” to the Minister of Labor. “I made a mistake,” added the LFI deputy.
Olivier Dussopt “does not forgive”
“I hear your apologies, they deserve to be presented […] but that being called an ‘assassin’ cannot be forgiven, on the other hand these excuses have a merit: it is that they deserve the debate to continue, and that is my only wish”, finally replied Olivier Dussopt .
Deputy Saintoul was sanctioned with a call to order with entry in the minutes, ie the withdrawal of a quarter of his parliamentary allowance for one month.
On Twitter, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne stressed that “the National Assembly must be the place of debate, not that of insults. Those who insult are not up to the French people who elected them or the democratic debate they are waiting,” she said.
