“The representative of the state must be impregnable”: Darmanin justifies the dismissal of the prefect Marie Lajus

Gérald Darmanin assures us that the dismissal of Prefect Marie-Marie Lajus has nothing to do with her opposition to real estate projects. The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not like to take the term “dismissal” on its own. He justified before BFMTV the dismissal of Indre-et-Loire Prefect Marie Lajus in early December, exposing “many lies” surrounding the case. In this statement from Mayotte, where he spent the New Year, Gérald Darmanin confirmed that these kinds of decisions were “sometimes related to each other’s behavior.”

The eviction of Marie Lajus triggered an unprecedented mobilization of local elected officials, parliamentarians, heads of associations and the former Attorney General of Paris through petitions, forums and letters.

“We may be called early”

Supporters of Marie Lajus explain that she was fired for speaking out against a startup incubator project at Château Louise de la Vallière park in Rényi, which angered elected officials. “We all felt,” the minister continued, “that the responsibility lies with us, and I take responsibility, that it is necessary to know how to change when things are not going well.” “The representative of the state must be impregnable and respectable, and when this is not the case, I take on the duties of the head of the administration,” he accused, without naming the prefect.

On Monday, as he took office, Patrice Lathron, Marie Lajus’ successor, held a press conference to discuss the resignation. Thus, he argued that there were “servitudes” in the prefect’s “fascinating profession”. “And in these easements,” he said, “that we are at the disposal of the government. We respond ad nutum, that is, with a nod of the head. This is part of the job requirements. It must be integrated. It is extremely unpleasant when this happens to you (…), but you have to integrate it. It’s like that! »

Gerald Darmanin also insisted that prefects be appointed at the discretion of the government. Their appointment is decided by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Minister of the Interior. But the last word belongs to the head of state.