Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, criticized for his remarks during a tense exchange with journalist Apolline de Malherbe, said on Thursday on LCI that he “regrets” having been able to offend him, while defending himself. for using a “misogynistic tone”.
“If I offended anyone, I very gladly regret it,” said the Minister of the Interior, questioned at length by Ruth Elkrief about the tense exchange he had on Tuesday on the set of BFMTV with the journalist Apolline de Malherbe.
A particularly tense exchange
It all started with a question from Apolline de Malherbe who asked Gérald Darmanin if the executive had not “woke up a little late”, with the announcement by Emmanuel Macron of a law on internal security in the last months of the five-year term, while the figures for 2021 show an increase in attacks on people.
Gérald Darmanin had criticized a “very quick and somewhat populist presentation”.
“No, but don’t get upset, calm down Madam, it’s going to be fine”, he continued while the journalist protested, considering that it was “not an answer” but “almost an offense”.
“I beg your pardon?”: the very tense exchange between Gérald Darmanin and Apolline de Malherbe pic.twitter.com/8XlHS5jzFl
— RMC (@RMCinfo) February 8, 2022
Gérald Darmanin’s remarks provoked strong criticism from the opposition in the midst of the presidential campaign.
“It’s going to be fine, it’s a popular expression. I use it in the National Assembly”, defended the minister on Thursday, assuring that his tone “was not misogynistic”.
“It was a tense interview which prevented talking about the substance,” he continued, adding that he called Apolline de Malherbe. “We exchanged, we must see each other next week”.