The controversy does not fall around Jean-Luc Mélenchon. After the leader of LFI drew a parallel between the president of the University of Lille and the Nazi Adolf Eichmann, the government decided to take the matter to court.
The Minister of Higher Education Sylvie Retailleau announced on Sunday a complaint against Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
A complaint for “public insult”
The former presidential candidate had mentioned the Nazi war criminal on April 18 during a meeting in Lille, organized in the middle of the street after two refusals of rooms by the prefect and the president of the university. “I did nothing,” said Eichmann. “I only obeyed the law as it was in my country.” So they say that they obey the law and they implement immoral measures which are not justified by anything or anyone,” he declared.
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”: “My ministry will file a complaint for public insult in front of a public official,” she announced. “The majority of debates and conferences are held in our universities where the presidents are there to ensure everyone’s safety,” she added. “Why was the conference canceled at the University of Lille, after having allowed it, because there were also demonstrations that were going to take place and the president (of the university) had the information that there was a risk to public order,” according to her.
Other cancellations for risks of disturbances to public order
His ministry specified 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 that “three were canceled due to risk of disturbances to public order, three were unauthorized for the same reasons or for non-compliance with the internal framework of the university.
In an interview with Opinion Sunday, the president of the University of Lille Régis Bordet for his part affirmed that “the office of the Minister of Higher Education and Research, the rectorate and the prefecture (have) contacted them to find out about the situation “. According to him, “at no time was there the slightest desire on their part to influence the decision”.