Why I am testifying against France's former justice minister
For a full two hours, I stood in a courtroom of the Paris Palace of Justice – being questioned as a witness. Facing the judges’ bench, with the spectators and civil parties at my back. Walking afterwards was difficult, but it was worth it.
The case being heard was that of Rachida Dati. The former French justice minister is alleged to have been paid for lobbying work during her time as a Member of the European Parliament. She is suspected of having received 900,000 euros from Nissan-Renault. In return, the lawyer is alleged to have influenced legislation and tabled amendments in the interest of the automotive group – concerning, among other things, new rules on vehicle noise and the standardization of charging stations for electric cars.
She is also alleged to have taken positions in Parliament on behalf of the gas company GDF Suez. Those matters are being examined in a separate proceeding.
Why was I summoned as a witness? I know Dati from her time in the European Parliament. In 2013 and 2014, I worked as an assistant to MEP Gerald Häfner. Häfner was a member of the Committee on Ethics* and served as its chair for several months. The committee deals with violations of the code of conduct for MEPs.
And it was precisely such violations that Dati was already being accused of at the time. Our investigation had found that Rachida Dati had tabled a large number of amendments related to gas and energy – amendments that aligned with the interests of GDF Suez.
My boss at the time and I spoke with Dati. At a personal meeting, she denied any conflict of interest. The gas company was not a direct client of hers, she said. Beyond that, she invoked attorney-client privilege. The then President of Parliament, Martin Schulz, seemed to accept this. The matter went nowhere. In 2019, Rachida Dati left the European Parliament. In 2024, she became France’s Minister of Culture.
But the past now seems to be catching up with the politician. Documents have surfaced showing that a law firm transferred fees from GDF Suez to Dati. In my view, it very much looks as though Rachida Dati was paid by GDF Suez for her parliamentary work and public statements. To conceal the connection, a law firm was apparently interposed that merely passed the payments on.
The hearings ended yesterday. Unsurprisingly, Dati rejected all the allegations during her questioning. Her defense strategy: It wasn’t me. All the amendments, questions, and committee work, she claimed, had been done by her assistants. She was barely “present.” A rather questionable way of handling the mandate of a Member of the European Parliament.
The trial in Paris shows: France’s judges and prosecutors have no qualms about taking on big names too. Le Pen was convicted just as Sarkozy was. After 13 years, Dati is now finally facing consequences.
The contrast with Brussels is striking. The European Parliament did not act at the time, even though the allegations against Dati were obvious. To this day, there is no ethics body ensuring uniform standards. To this day, there is no functioning system in the European Parliament to punish corruption within its own ranks.
It would be nice if we didn’t have to wait another 13 years for an adequate response from the EU institutions.
*Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members