The atmosphere was electric this Tuesday, December 17 on the set of “L’Assembly BFM”, a BFMTV political show presented by Benjamin Duhamel. In an already tense debate on the immigration law, an altercation between Manon Aubry, La France insoumise (LFI) MEP, and Julien Odoul, National Rally (RN) deputy, shifted the discussion. During this muscular exchange, the latter made “unacceptable” remarks, denounced by the rebellious elected official and the presenter himself.
“On this set, we don’t talk like that to debaters”
Around 11:10 p.m., the debate focused on the association made by the far right between immigration and insecurity. Manon Aubry denounces what she considers to be a “abject and indecent assimilation between immigration and insecurity, between immigration and sexual violence“. Julien Odoul, feeling targeted, retorts: “There is a sourced and obvious link.“The atmosphere becomes tense, the exchanges overlap, while the RN deputy keeps interrupting. Manon Aubry’s voice rises to demand the opportunity to express herself fully: “You don’t let me finish my sentences. Mr. Odoul, that’s actually enough! That’s enough!“, she exclaims.
It was then that Julien Odoul said: “Calm down, relax Madame Aubry, have a glass of cold water!“. A sentence which instantly provokes indignation on the set. The environmentalist deputy Sandrine Rousseau thus defends her colleague: “No no no, stop“. “No then, the sexist remarks Mr. Duhamel, I take my microphone I’m leaving“, replies Manon Aubry, addressing the journalist. Benjamin Duhamel then intervenes to restore calm and remind us of the limits of political exchanges: “Stop! We are going to make things extremely clear Julien Odoul. On this set, we don’t talk to debaters like that. Saying “have a glass of water and calm down” is unacceptable.“, he emphasizes firmly, while the deputy tries to interrupt him.
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“I didn’t insult Madame Aubry, I just asked her to calm downr”, he argues. However, his remarks refer to a form of paternalism, which by insinuating a supposed emotional instability – a supposed “hysteria” -, discredits the words of his interlocutor. A sentence which is not elsewhere not unlike that of Gérald Darmanin, then Minister of the Interior, who launched “Calm down ma’am, it’s going to be okay” to the journalist Apolline de Malherbe during an interview, or the “To be President of the Republic, you must be calm“, by Nicolas Sarkozy against Ségolène Royal in 2007.
“I felt insulted”
“On this set, there is no partiality on my part in the way I conduct the debates,” continues Benjamin Duhamel, speaking to Julien Odoul. “You have had the floor and I remind you that in a discussion we do not address people, especially the two women who are on this set, by telling them ‘calm down, drink a glass of water’. is unacceptable.”
Manon Aubry is not angry. “It is despicable and unbearable. I said it calmly and very calmly, but I felt insulted. Millions of people feel insulted when you speak“, she says, before being interrupted again by the RN deputy. “You continue! It’s incredible!” she exclaims, echoing the surrounding chaos.
After the show, tensions continued on social networks. “Sscandalous existence of the RN deputy Julien Odoul who disrespected me during the entire debate and required a call to order from BFM. That’s what the extreme right is: contempt for women and hatred of debate“, writes Manon Aubry while sharing the sequence. But for his part, Julien Odoul, persists and signs: “Unlike these Islamo-leftists, the RN does not sort the French according to their skin color or their religion. Yes, you need to calm down and hydrate!”
In April 2021, during a debate on LCI, Julien Odoul had already aroused indignation with a remark this time targeting Florence Portelli (LR), reducing her to her hair color to imply that she was “stupid ” : “I’m not blonde.“The vice-president of the Île-de-France region immediately responded, denouncing blatant sexism, before sharing the exchange on Twitter to call out Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella. The reactions were numerous, from Valérie Pécresse to Marlène Schiappa, condemning remarks revealing persistent sexism in politics, Julien Odoul brushed aside the criticism, speaking of “.popular humor trait (often used for girls)” and“capillotracted indignations“.
