Agnes Buzyn replaces Benjamin Griveaux as Paris mayoral candidate after sex video scandal
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France's Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn is to be the candidate for mayor of Paris for Macron's La Republique En Marche (LREM), replacing Benjamin Griveaux who was forced to quit after a sex video featuring him was posted online.
"I'm going there to win," she said on Sunday.
Griveaux, withdrew from the race on Friday following the online publication of pornographic videos and messages allegedly featuring himself.
A blogpost written by controversial Russian artist Piotr Pavlenski, shared screengrabs and sex videos that Griveaux sent to a woman who subsequently sent them on to Pavlenski. It was heavily shared on social media on Thursday evening and Friday morning, before Griveaux's official declaration.
Griveaux announced his departure from the race in a video aired by BFM TV, saying he regretted "revolting attacks" against his campaign.
"A website and social media have published revolting attacks against me and my privacy", Griveaux said in the video. "Our project for Paris, which my campaign team and I have built and fought for, will live on without me"
"This is a hard decision for me, but I do not wish to put my family and myself at risk any more", he added.