His reaction did not go unnoticed. Filmed on 15 October during a firefighters’ demonstration – at which he was injured – Nicolas, the 28-year-old firefighter from Essonne, had hurled insults at Emmanuel Macron on the streets of Paris.
He has now been suspended and is consequently being deprived of nearly half his salary. Footage of his outburst had been viewed millions of times on social media.
“His dismissal will be a court ruling”
He had sent an open letter to the President of the Republic, the Minister for the Interior, the Prefect and the President of the Essonne Departmental Council to explain the reasons for his anger.
The Essonne Fire and Rescue Service has stated that Nicolas B. is due to appear before the Versailles Administrative Court shortly, and that any decision to dismiss him will be made by the court, not by the President of the Republic.
Regrets, but no letter of apology
In an article published by our colleagues at the Parisian, the firefighter said he “regretted” his comments, which “bring the fire service into disrepute”. However, he will not be writing a “letter of apology”, as his superiors are said to have suggested, according to his lawyers.
They believe this would constitute ‘compromising behaviour’ and ‘humiliation’. At the same time, Nicolas B. is set to file a complaint alleging endangerment of the lives of others and intentional assault with a weapon against a person in a position of public authority, committed by a person in a position of public authority.