French senate warned against abuse of power

Close allies of the French president rounded on the oppositionled senate, warning it against abusing its power and seeking to undermine the presidency after it compelled Emmanuel Macron’s former bodyguard to answer questions over his violent conduct.

Alexandre Benalla is under criminal investigation after he was filmed beating a protester while wearing a riot helmet and police tags, a scandal that has plunged Macron’s presidency into its gravest crisis since he won power in May 2017.

On Wednesday Benalla agreed to questioning by senators after being told he risked prison if he refused to comply with the parliamentary inquiry. Macron’s lieutenants have cautioned the senate against overreaching its powers and encroaching on a judicial investigation. Opponents of the president fired back, denouncing what they called an unprecedented attack on parliament.

“Any commission of inquiry that was to have political ambitions ... and was to think it could use its role as a check on government to bring down a president would be violating the constitution,” Christophe Castaner, leader of Macron’s Republic on the Move party (LREM), told a news conference on Friday.

The inquiry by the senate is looking into the Elysee Palace’s internal operations and whether it tried to hush up the affair.