Former French Health Minister Buzyn summoned by judges - Le Monde

FILE PHOTO: Paris mayoral candidate Agnes Buzyn delivers a speech after the forecasts for the results of the municipal elections at her campaign headquarters in Paris, France, March 15, 2020. Julien De Rosa/Pool via REUTERS

Former French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn was summoned to appear before judges on Friday to face questions over whether her response to the coronavirus pandemic was inadequate, newspaper Le Monde reported.

The judges of the Cour de Justice de La Republique, a special court that deals with complaints against serving or former ministers, are considering charging Buzyn with "voluntary abstaining from fighting a disaster" and "putting the lives of others at risk", said Le Monde, citing sources close to the matter.

Buzyn, health minister from May 2017 to February 2020, had to step down at the start of the pandemic under pressure from President Emmanuel Macron to replace Benjamin Griveaux, the LREM party candidate for Mayor of Paris who was forced to withdraw after a sex-tape scandal.

FILE PHOTO: Agnes Buzyn, La Republique en Marche (LREM) mayoral candidate, leaves the booth after casting her vote in the 5th district of Paris for the second round of the 2020 mayoral elections, in France June 28, 2020. Christophe Archambault/Pool via REUTERS

She lost her bid for the Paris city hall and ended up being appointed in January to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, in charge of monitoring multilateral issues.

Spokespersons for the WHO and for the French health Ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

The current French Health Minister Olivier Veran is also expected to be summoned by the same judges in the coming weeks, added Le Monde.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon and Blandine Henault; Editing by Jan Harvey)