‘Politically finished': French PM grilled over child sex abuse scandal
Bayrou has faced accusations from the opposition that as education minister in the 1990s he knew of widespread physical and sexual abuse at the Notre-Dame de Betharram school in southwestern France over many decades.
The 73-year-old politician, who served as France's education minister between 1993 and 1997, has denied any wrongdoing and denounced what he calls a campaign of 'destruction' against him.
He said his appearance before the committee would give him an 'opportunity to prove that all this was false'.
Centrist Bayrou, the sixth prime minister of President Emmanuel Macron's mandate, was named head of government last December. He has been given the daunting task of hauling France out of months of political crisis.
Until now Bayrou has managed to survive a no-confidence vote in a divided parliament but the Betharram affair has damaged his credibility and his approval rating has been declining in recent weeks.
Bayrou's popularity rating has dropped below that of Macron, according to a poll published last week, with only 27 per cent of French people approving of his work.
Analysts have said Bayrou could face further pressure depending on his performance during the hearing, which is set to begin at 5.00pm (11pm Malaysia time) yesterday.
'The Betharram school scandal may not be sufficient in itself to bring down Bayrou but could embolden his parliamentary enemies, and supposed friends, to pull the plug on the government for other reasons,' said the Eurasia Group.
'Reasons for dissatisfaction abound,' the political risk consultancy added, pointing to France's budgetary crisis.
'I have confidence in him'
Macron threw his support behind the embattled prime minister.
'We have talked about it a lot and I know that I have confidence in him,' he told TF1 television yesterday evening, referring to the Betharram affair.
'I know that he will answer all the questions he is asked.'
Macron also said he was open to a suggestion by Bayrou to hold a referendum on a plan to reduce France's debt.
The two co-rapporteurs of the commission, Paul Vannier and Violette Spillebout, will question Bayrou about what he knew about alleged violence, sexual assault and rape committed at the school near the southwestern town of Pau where Bayrou has been mayor since 2014.
Several of his children attended the school, and his wife taught religious studies there.
Bayrou's statements have been contradicted by a number of people including his own daughter.
In April, Bayrou's eldest daughter accused the clergy running the school of systemic abuse, saying a priest beat her during summer camp when she was 14.
Helene Perlant, who is now 53 and uses her mother's name, said however that her father did not know about the incident.
Few in Bayrou's team believe that he will be brought down over the scandal.
But 'if he lies before parliament, he's dead' politically, said a supporter of Macron, asking not to be named.
Bayrou has survived multiple no-confidence motions partially due to support from the Socialists. But one Socialist lawmaker, who asked not to be named, believed Bayrou was 'politically finished'.
Greens have accused him of 'perjury' and have called for his resignation.
A Bayrou associate stressed that the prime minister was not the subject of the inquiry.
The inquiry focuses on 'the methods used by the state to monitor and prevent violence in schools'.
After hearing witnesses, victims and former ministers, the two rapporteurs plan to deliver their conclusions in June.
In total, 200 legal complaints have been filed since February last year accusing priests and staff at Betharram of physical or sexual abuse from 1957 to 2004.
Some of the boarders said the experience had scarred them for life, recounting how some priests visited boys at night.
'The state has failed and has not protected the children of Betharram,' said Alain Esquerre, who represents a collective of school survivors. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 minutes ago
- The Sun
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou condemns EU-US trade deal as submission
PARIS: French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has strongly criticised the newly struck trade deal between the European Union and the United States, labelling it a 'dark day' and an act of 'submission.' The agreement, finalised on Sunday, has drawn sharp reactions from politicians across France. 'It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resorts to submission,' Bayrou stated in a post on X. The deal, negotiated by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, sets a baseline tariff of 15 percent on EU exports to the US. French President Emmanuel Macron has yet to publicly respond, but opposition leaders have been vocal. Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally called it a 'commercial surrender of Europe,' while Marine Le Pen described it as a 'political, economic, and moral fiasco.' Macron ally Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade criticised the deal as a 'signal of weakness,' urging efforts to reverse its effects. Meanwhile, Philippe Latombe of Bayrou's Democratic Movement expressed regret, calling it a 'bad deal, except for Trump.' The Socialist Party and far-left France Unbowed also condemned the agreement, with Jean-Luc Melenchon framing it as a choice between 'non-submission to the US Empire and non-alignment.' French Finance Minister Eric Lombard and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will meet with key economic stakeholders on Wednesday to assess the deal's impact. – AFP
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
France petition against bee-killing pesticide gains 2 million signatures
PARIS: A student-led petition against a pesticide deadly to bees has surpassed two million signatures in France, intensifying calls for President Emmanuel Macron to reject a controversial bill permitting its use. The legislation, passed on July 8 without full parliamentary debate, would reintroduce acetamiprid, a chemical banned in France since 2018 but still legal in the EU. The petition, launched on July 10 by a 23-year-old master's student, has gained rapid support, including from 400 culinary professionals like Michelin-starred chefs, who condemned the 'blindness of our politicians.' Beet and hazelnut farmers argue they need the pesticide to combat pests and remain competitive, despite its ecological risks. A recent poll in La Tribune Dimanche revealed 64% of respondents oppose the bill, urging Macron to send it back for parliamentary review. The president awaits a ruling from the Constitutional Council on August 7 regarding the law's legality. Dubbed the Duplomb law after its author, Senator Laurent Duplomb, the legislation faces growing public resistance. While 500,000 signatures triggered eligibility for a public debate, discussions would focus only on the petition, not the law itself. – AFP
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
US-China restart trade talks in Sweden, possible extension of tariff truce in play
STOCKHOLM, July 28 — Top economic officials from the United States and China are set to renew negotiations Monday, with an extension of lower tariff levels on the cards as President Donald Trump's trade policy enters a critical week. Talks between the world's top two economies are slated to happen over two days in the Swedish capital Stockholm, and they come as other countries are also rushing to finalise deals with Washington. For dozens of trading partners, failing to strike an agreement in the coming days means they could face significant tariff hikes on exports to the United States come Friday, August 1. The steeper rates, threatened against partners like Brazil and India, would raise the duties their products face from a 'baseline' of 10 per cent now to levels up to 50 per cent. Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have already effectively raised duties on US imports to levels not seen since the 1930s, according to data from The Budget Lab research centre at Yale University. For now, all eyes are on discussions between Washington and Beijing as a delegation including US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meets a Chinese team led by Vice Premier He Lifeng in Sweden. Beijing said on Monday it hoped the two sides could hold talks in the spirit of 'mutual respect and reciprocity'. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing sought to 'enhance consensus through dialogue and communication, reduce misunderstandings, strengthen cooperation and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations'. While both countries in April imposed tariffs on each other's products that reached triple-digit levels, US duties this year have temporarily been lowered to 30 per cent and China's countermeasures slashed to 10 per cent. But the 90-day truce, instituted after talks in Geneva in May, is set to expire on August 12. Since the Geneva meeting, the two sides have convened in London to iron out disagreements. China progress? 'There seems to have been a fairly significant shift in (US) administration thinking on China since particularly the London talks,' said Emily Benson, head of strategy at Minerva Technology Futures. 'The mood now is much more focused on what's possible to achieve, on warming relations where possible and restraining any factors that could increase tensions,' she told AFP. Talks with China have not produced a deal but Benson said both countries have made progress, with certain rare earth and semiconductor flows restarting. 'Secretary Bessent has also signalled that he thinks a concrete outcome will be to delay the 90-day tariff pause,' she said. 'That's also promising, because it indicates that something potentially more substantive is on the horizon.' The South China Morning Post, citing sources on both sides, reported Sunday that Washington and Beijing are expected to extend their tariff pause by another 90 days. Trump has announced pacts so far with the European Union, Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, although details have been sparse. An extension of the US-China deal to keep tariffs at reduced levels 'would show that both sides see value in continuing talks', said Thibault Denamiel, a fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. US-China Business Council president Sean Stein said the market was not anticipating a detailed readout from Stockholm: 'What's more important is the atmosphere coming out.' 'The business community is optimistic that the two presidents will meet later this year, hopefully in Beijing,' he told AFP. 'It's clear that on both sides, the final decision-maker is going to be the president.' Far from ideal For others, the prospect of higher US tariffs and few details from fresh trade deals mark 'a far cry from the ideal scenario', said Denamiel. But they show some progress, particularly with partners Washington has signalled are on its priority list like the EU, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. The EU unveiled a pact with Washington on Sunday while Seoul is rushing to strike an agreement, after Japan and the Philippines already reached the outlines of deals. Breakthroughs have been patchy since Washington promised a flurry of agreements after unveiling, and then swiftly postponing, tariff hikes targeting dozens of economies in April. Denamiel warned of overlooking countries that fall outside Washington's priority list. Solid partnerships are needed, he said, if Washington wants to diversify supply chains, enforce advanced technology controls, and tackle excess Chinese capacity. — AFP
