FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP
Jean-Luc Mélenchon on April 18, 2024, in Lille.
POLITICS – Strong exchanges via media. This Monday, April 29, Jean-Luc Mélenchon defended himself on the social network Sylvie Retailleau on BFMTV, who announced that his ministry was going to file a complaint against him for “ public insult in front of a public official », after his remarks made in Lille on April 18.
The former presidential candidate is accused of having compared the president of the University of Lille to the Nazi Adolf Eichmann. On April 18 during a conference in Lille, organized in the middle of the street after two refusals of rooms by the prefect and the president of the university, he actually mentioned the war criminal in these terms: “I didn’t do anything,” said Eichmann. I only obeyed the law as it was in my country. So they say they obey the law and they implement immoral measures that are not justified by anything or anyone.” Enough to cause an uproar within the government.
Questioned on BFMTV on Sunday evening, Sylvie Retailleau estimated that “the words of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who called the president (of the University of Lille) a Nazi, are a public insult.” An accusation brushed aside by Jean-Luc Mélenchon on X this Monday : “Madam Minister, I did not call the president of the University of Lille a Nazi. I don’t think he ishe writes. Otherwise I would say it without fear of your complaints. »
Jean-Luc Mélenchon cries “diversion”
The rebellious leader accuses the minister of wanting to divert attention by initiating this legal procedure against him. “ You are creating a diversion to abdicate your responsibilities in defending academic freedoms,” he added. Banned from conferences on the Middle East twice in Lille in mid-April, first by the University then by the prefecture, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has since accused the executive of muzzling his words: “ Who threatened to create disorder to get our conference banned? Why did the regional president demand that I be banned from speaking in all universities? “, he asks again.
Sunday April 28, Sylvie Retailleau rejected any desire for censorship, indicating that the conference had been canceled because the president of the university “ had information that there was a risk to public order.” As reported by AFP, the Ministry of Public Education also specifies that “19 LFI conferences have been held since the start of the year in French higher education establishments under the supervision of the ministry” and “three were canceled for risk of disturbing public order, three were unauthorized for the same reasons or for non-compliance with the internal framework of the university”.
Also see on HuffPost: