The President of the Senate really did not appreciate Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s criticism of journalist Ruth Elkrief. So much so that Gérard Larcher, interviewed this Wednesday on RTL, said “shut up!” » against the leader of France Insoumise.
The behavior of Jean-Luc Mélenchon is “irresponsible” said the President of the Senate, three days after the leader of the Insoumis tweeted, calling the journalist “manipulative”. In a vitriolic message, published on the social network
Mélenchon accused of “creating an inferno”
The leader of the radical left “put himself outside the Republican arc”, said the President of the Senate, castigating “someone who has millions of subscribers on X and who behaves in this way , who in some way through his words creates an inferno that can ignite and divide.” Jean-Luc Mélenchon “points the finger (…) and we can see with what allusion behind it”, he added, while the rebellious tribune is regularly accused of anti-Semitism.
Exasperated, Gérard Larcher finally summarized the substance of his thoughts regarding the three-time candidate for the presidential election. To the question “What are you telling him this morning?” Shut up ? », the boss of the upper house replied: “Yes, shut up”.
Renaissance “can understand”, the right “approves”
Comments immediately disavowed by Renaissance deputy Sacha Houlié, for whom “the President of the Senate should not say that”. “If my children were to make this kind of comment about anyone, we would have a somewhat tense discussion,” admitted government spokesperson Olivier Véran. But “I can perfectly understand that in the moment we are experiencing, there is a form of fed up with seeing the invectives follow one another from Mélenchon who, once again, is making very people take risks. good,” he added.
On the right, Éric Ciotti gave his support to his colleague: “I understand and I approve,” declared the president of the Republicans during a press conference, denouncing rebels who “want to undermine our institutions” and “destroy the Republic “.
“The most complete indignity” for LFI
These comments, unsurprisingly, caused a strong reaction at LFI. “The President of the Senate (…) wallows in the most complete indignity live on the radio (…) Roll on dry January”, the month of January without alcohol, said the leader of the deputies Mathilde Panot .
“Gérard Larcher uses the words of Jean-Marie le Pen,” denounced LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard while MP Aurélien Saintoul denounced a “rude, inept” Gérard Larcher.