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| French Minister Who Dined on Lobster at Taxpayers’ Expense Resigns | French Minister Who Dined on Lobster at Taxpayers’ Expense Resigns |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| VIERZON, France — The French environment minister, François de Rugy, under fire for lavish dinners on the public dime, resigned on Tuesday as discontent mounted in President Emmanuel Macron’s political movement. | |
| The revelations about Mr. de Rugy, first reported by the French investigative website Mediapart, appeared as a potent symbol of Mr. Macron’s most vulnerable spot: the accusation that he is “president of the rich.” | The revelations about Mr. de Rugy, first reported by the French investigative website Mediapart, appeared as a potent symbol of Mr. Macron’s most vulnerable spot: the accusation that he is “president of the rich.” |
| It was that charge that helped fuel the violent six-month “Yellow Vest” protest movement that shook Mr. Macron’s presidency, and the accusation has not gone away despite Mr. Macron’s efforts to proclaim himself humbler, wiser and less disdainful of his compatriots in the aftermath of the uprising. | It was that charge that helped fuel the violent six-month “Yellow Vest” protest movement that shook Mr. Macron’s presidency, and the accusation has not gone away despite Mr. Macron’s efforts to proclaim himself humbler, wiser and less disdainful of his compatriots in the aftermath of the uprising. |
| The scandal involving Mr. de Rugy — he hosted a series of lavish dinners for friends and professional acquaintances while he was the Macron-approved president of the National Assembly, before becoming the environment minister last year — revived all of the damaging accusations. | The scandal involving Mr. de Rugy — he hosted a series of lavish dinners for friends and professional acquaintances while he was the Macron-approved president of the National Assembly, before becoming the environment minister last year — revived all of the damaging accusations. |
| Photographs of lobster tails on a table set with sparkling crystal at the Hôtel de Lassay, the assembly president’s official residence, and of Mr. de Rugy’s wife, Séverine, smiling next to a bottle of wine worth about $560, had a devastating effect. The Yellow Vests, who rose up in revolt precisely over outrage at the perceived overprivilege of the Paris political and economic elite, were back on Sunday, demonstrating on the Champs-Élysées during the Bastille Day celebrations and yelling, “We want lobsters, Champagne and caviar.” | Photographs of lobster tails on a table set with sparkling crystal at the Hôtel de Lassay, the assembly president’s official residence, and of Mr. de Rugy’s wife, Séverine, smiling next to a bottle of wine worth about $560, had a devastating effect. The Yellow Vests, who rose up in revolt precisely over outrage at the perceived overprivilege of the Paris political and economic elite, were back on Sunday, demonstrating on the Champs-Élysées during the Bastille Day celebrations and yelling, “We want lobsters, Champagne and caviar.” |
| Mr. de Rugy lashed out at Mediapart over the revelations. Mr. Macron himself is known to dislike the website, to have disdain for journalists in general, and to hate appearing to cave in to articles that challenge him. | Mr. de Rugy lashed out at Mediapart over the revelations. Mr. Macron himself is known to dislike the website, to have disdain for journalists in general, and to hate appearing to cave in to articles that challenge him. |
| As late as Monday, Mr. Macron appeared to be standing by his minister, proclaiming, “I don’t make decisions based on revelations, but on facts, otherwise we turn into the Republic of Denunciation.” | As late as Monday, Mr. Macron appeared to be standing by his minister, proclaiming, “I don’t make decisions based on revelations, but on facts, otherwise we turn into the Republic of Denunciation.” |
| In a similar vein, a year ago Mr. Macron resisted for weeks responding to what proved to be one of the most damaging scandals of his presidency: One of his personal security guards, Alexandre Benalla, was caught on camera hitting a protester during a demonstration. Mr. Macron initially brushed away the revelations, but the president’s fumbling response gave his critics ammunition. | In a similar vein, a year ago Mr. Macron resisted for weeks responding to what proved to be one of the most damaging scandals of his presidency: One of his personal security guards, Alexandre Benalla, was caught on camera hitting a protester during a demonstration. Mr. Macron initially brushed away the revelations, but the president’s fumbling response gave his critics ammunition. |
| Over the weekend, discontent within the president’s political movement over the de Rugy scandal grew steadily, with some lawmakers expressing fears about the damage it was causing to them and Mr. Macron. | Over the weekend, discontent within the president’s political movement over the de Rugy scandal grew steadily, with some lawmakers expressing fears about the damage it was causing to them and Mr. Macron. |
| Announcing his resignation, Mr. de Rugy denounced “the attacks and media lynching targeting my family.” | Announcing his resignation, Mr. de Rugy denounced “the attacks and media lynching targeting my family.” |