Macron’s office director trying to clear up scandal, parliament's questions gets him involved

The French parliament on Tuesday witnessed a new hearing in the scandal known as the "BenallaGate" in which the bodyguard of President Emmanuel Macron, Alexandre Benalla, was accused of cracking down on May 1 demonstrators and acting as a policeman.

The hearing was upstaged by Mr. Patrick Strzoda, Director of the President's Office at the Elysee Palace.

At the start of the interrogation, Strzoda told deputies that according to the French constitution, which respects the separation of powers, the parliament has no right to question him.

He said he came here after the president's approval and instructions to observe the work secrecy at the Elysee and the principle of separation of powers. One of the leftist parliamentarians objected by saying: “The man came to Parliament and sworn in, but he will tell us only the facts that the President allowed him to mention.”

Strzoda initially shrugged off the president's responsibility for the measures taken since the start of the crisis, saying he is personally responsible for all the actions taken since May 2 until now.

The director of the Macron office said: "I saw the film about the events and the acts of violence that was committed by Benalla at eight in the morning. Then, the secretary general of the Interior Ministry contacted me to inform me of the news. I told him that I was aware of this."

He added that after Benalla was questioned about acts of violence which contradict his task to only be an observer at the demonstration, Benalla said that he intervened only to protect the security men from the strikes of the demonstrators. Accordingly, he was stopped him from work for 15 days and his work was changed. Then, all of this was presented to the Secretary General of the Elysee Palace and then to President Macron. He said, “I have not received any comments on these decisions, I have carried out the two punishments.”

Surprises:

As for the professional and personal nature of Benalla, Strzoda said that Benalla is a positive element that is appreciated by its superiors and employees because he quickly reacts with events and requirements and takes positive and effective initiatives. This is what is needed in an office with special objectives that work best.

Commenting on the presence of Benalla with President Macron on more than one occasion, despite 15 days' suspension of work and changing the nature of his work, the director of the president's office said that the presence of Benalla in the World Cup procession was due to the rush to prepare World Cup celebrations especially because it was necessary to control the procession and the speed of crossing the Champs-Elysées to arrive at the palace at exactly eight o'clock by quarter. He added that Benalla is the only person who can do that by virtue of his work at the Elysee Palace and his close relations with the security forces as well as his ability to organize and control the procession.

On the justification of the presence of Benalla in the ceremony of the transfer of the body of the former minister "Simon Phil" to the cemetery of the greats Bluxomborg in Paris, the director of the President's office also highlighted the efficiency of Benalla as well as the specificity of the event, which was initiated by President Macron directly.

With regard to Benalla’s presence with the guards accompanying Macron in his visit to the Giverny area, Macron’s office manager said that this does not contradict the change in the nature of Benalla work because Macron’s visit to Giverny was not an official visit but a private one.