Christiane Taubira

Christiane Taubira won the Popular Primary organised in January 2022 in an attempt to unite the left. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Yannick Jadot, Anne Hidalgo and Fabien Roussel nevertheless refused to recognise the consultation as binding and did not withdraw their candidacies.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following her victory in the Popular Primary, Christiane Taubira failed to secure the 500 endorsements from elected officials required to stand in the presidential election. She announced her withdrawal on 2 March 2022 with 181 validated signatures in the latest count available before her announcement.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following the November 2015 attacks, Christiane Taubira publicly opposed the proposal to enshrine deprivation of nationality for certain people convicted of terrorism in the Constitution. Her disagreement with François Hollande and Manuel Valls became untenable, and she resigned on 27 January 2016.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Christiane Taubira had announced an overhaul of juvenile criminal justice and abolition of criminal courts for minors. Expected in 2015, the proposal was repeatedly postponed. Facing the deadlock, the minister publicly stated that she would not accept abandonment of the reform and suggested that she might leave the government.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Christiane Taubira's proposed criminal justice reform triggered an open confrontation with Manuel Valls, then Interior Minister. He wrote to François Hollande to challenge several aspects of the text, particularly mandatory minimum sentences, repeat offending and alternatives to imprisonment. Government decisions reduced the proposal's initial scope.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

During the Nicolas Sarkozy wiretapping affair, Christiane Taubira maintained that she had not known about certain details before their public disclosure. At a press conference, she displayed documents whose content was interpreted as contradicting several of her earlier statements, triggering political accusations of lying.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Christiane Taubira led the bill opening marriage and adoption to same-sex couples. The legislation prompted months of extremely tense parliamentary debate and mass demonstrations both for and against the reform.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Following revelations of the 'Wall of Idiots' at the offices of the Syndicat de la magistrature, Christiane Taubira condemned the display and referred the matter to the High Council for the Judiciary. The union strongly contested the referral and accused the minister of fuelling political controversy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

During the 2005 referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, Christiane Taubira called for a 'no' vote, breaking with the position of her Radical Party of the Left.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Christiane Taubira received 2.32 % of the vote in the first round of the 2002 presidential election. Following Lionel Jospin's elimination behind Jean-Marie Le Pen, some on the left accused her of contributing to the fragmentation of the vote that had prevented the Socialist candidate from reaching the second round.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Christiane Taubira opposed the 2004 law regulating the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in state schools, taking a position distinct from much of the republican left. Her choice fuelled debate over her conception of secularism.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility