Green and centrist exchange insults

POLITICIANS François Bayrou and Daniel Cohn-Bendit exchanged insults on a political debate programme last night.

Green MEP Cohn-Bendit said after the show A Vous de Juger he thought Bayrou had “gone nuts,” after the leader of the centrist MoDem Party called him “ignoble” and said he had acted towards children in unacceptable ways.

The statement was a reference to a controversy in 2001, when critics said incidents mentioned in a 1975 book by Cohn-Bendit, relating to experiences as a nursery school teacher, suggested paedophilia. Former parents and pupils of the school have denied anything of concern took place.

The spat started with former presidential candidate Bayrou accusing Cohn-Bendit of being too close and friendly to the UMP government leadership – “often” telephoning President Sarkozy and of having lunch at the Elysée three times.

May '68 rebel Cohn-Bendit said he found Bayrou’s remarks “pathetic” and that he would “never be president.”

He added while some people called Sarkozy the “omnipresident,” Bayrou was the “omniopponent.”

“The French people know that I stand for Europe Ecologie (a grouping of ecological activists he founded),” he said.

Bayrou then responded with insulating remarks related to the controversy over Cohn-Bendit’s book Le Grand Bazar.

The general secretary of the UMP Party, Xavier Bertrand, also among those appearing on the show A Vous de Juger, said after the incident he felt “sickened” by Bayrou’s “way of carrying out politics.”

“The French people expect something different. He totally lost his cool,” said Bertrand.

Cohn-Bendit has said that, as polls suggest the Greens and MoDem are neck and neck, with some placing the Greens ahead, his campaign has been a success. It has included including teaming up with ecological activist and former presidential candidate José Bové.

The elections are on Sunday in mainland France. To vote you should be French-resident and either of French or other EU nationality and you should have joined the electoral register at your mairie before the end of last year. Eligible voters should already have received details of how to vote at their local polling station, through the post.

Photo:Cohn-Bendit credit Kenji-Baptiste OIKAWA