French Minister To Face Trial Over Renault-Nissan Lobbying Scandal

A French court ordered Culture Minister Rachida Dati to stand trial over allegations of corruption and influence-peddling stemming from her tenure as a lawmaker in the European Parliament, in a case that has drawn renewed scrutiny to lobbying practices within the bloc, the Guardian reported. 

Dati, a former minister in the administration of right-wing French president Nicolas Sarkozy, is accused of covertly lobbying for carmaker Renault-Nissan while holding elected office during her term as a European Union lawmaker from 2009 to 2019 – an activity that was prohibited.  

French magistrates announced the charges against her in November, alleging that she received more than $1 million in legal fees from a Renault-Nissan subsidiary between 2010 and 2012 without performing legitimate work, Reuters added. 

Dati, who currently serves as mayor of Paris’ 7th district, has denied any wrongdoing and has criticized investigators for what she described as a case “marred by incidents.” Her lawyers said they would appeal the court decision. 

Dati was appointed culture minister last year, even though authorities had already charged her in the Renault-Nissan case.  

French investigators have also implicated former Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in the case. Ghosn was arrested in Japan in 2018 for financial misconduct before fleeing to Lebanon in late 2019.  

Ghosn has denied all charges and remains an international fugitive, according to Radio France Internationale. 

Meanwhile, Dati’s indictment comes amid heightened concern in the European Parliament over lobbying following the 2022 “Qatargate” scandal.  

New rules that took effect on May 1 require all lobbyists entering parliament buildings to activate their badges and declare their purpose, a move designed to track who is meeting with lawmakers and when. 

The new rules have sparked criticism from some lobby groups who say the measures impose unnecessary bureaucracy.  

The reform is part of a broader effort to restore trust after some EU lawmakers were accused of accepting gifts or cash from foreign governments in exchange for political influence. 

In another move, the European Parliament is also considering revoking lobbying access for every interest group tied to e-commerce giant Amazon, Politico reported. 

That’s the latest salvo in a standoff between the bloc and Amazon over working conditions in its warehouses that already led parliament to withdraw the entry badges of the firm’s lobbyists early last year.