It is one less burden for the government. Appointed Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and People with Disabilities on May 20, Damien Abad is no longer part of the second government of Elisabeth Borne, whose composition was revealed on Monday morning by the Secretary General of the Élysée. Replaced by the director general of the Red Cross Jean-Christophe Combe, he left the government “with great regret”, he said during the transfer of power.
“It seemed preferable, in the face of the despicable slanders of which I am the target, orchestrated according to a well-chosen timetable, that I could defend myself without hindering the functioning of the government,” he said.
The government had been under pressure since the appointment of Damien Abad. “Big catch” for Emmanuel Macron since defector of the Republicans, Damien Abad had been accused of rape by two women the day after his appointment to the government then, in mid-June, of an attempted rape by another woman. An investigation was opened at the end of June after the complaint filed by one of these women. Damien Abad has always disputed these facts, asserting “forcefully that sexual relations[il a] may have have always been based on the principle of mutual consent ”, as he had written in a response to Mediapart. And the Minister of Solidarity to take refuge behind his handicap – he suffers from arthrogryposis – which would not allow him to do the alleged acts.
A beginning of mandate poisoned by Abad
The Damien Abad case had poisoned Elisabeth Borne’s first weeks at Matignon, the Prime Minister being regularly questioned on this subject during her travels. “That a man uses his stature as a man of power to obtain favors, does that bother you?” asked a woman in Calvados when she was campaigning. Elisabeth Borne then replied “not to be a judge”. “As Prime Minister, I also say it as a woman, we must allow justice to establish the facts. Do not hesitate to file a complaint. (…) I am not a judge and investigations are not done with anonymous testimonies, ”she continued.
Emmanuel Macron had also been questioned on the subject. “You put men at the head of the state (also referring to Gérald Darmanin) who are accused of rape and violence against women, why? “A high school student asked him at the beginning of June, who the next day had received a visit from the gendarmes at the school. “To function in society you must have the presumption of innocence,” replied the President of the Republic. The cries of “liar” and “you are abominable” had then sounded.
Calls to resign
In a column published by Le Monde, 188 women – elected officials, journalists, feminists, artists – had demanded the resignation of the Minister of Solidarity, at the initiative of the Observatory of sexist and sexual violence in politics and the feminist association #NousToutes . “The question is simple: can Damien Abad, as his duties require, embody the general interest? they asked. “His retention in government is a symptom of the great resistance that reactionaries have put up against women who have spoken out for years and have struggled to be heard,” they wrote.
Despite these accusations, Damien Abad was re-elected MP for Ain, with almost 58% of the vote, against a candidate from the New People’s Ecological and Social Union (Nupes). Ex-minister, Damien Abad will be able to recover his seat there. However, he will have changed places: LR deputy under the previous term, he should logically sit with the majority.
Jean-Christophe Combe, unknown to the general public, had been director general of the Red Cross for 5 years.