Relief for François Bayrou. The Paris criminal court acquitted, this Monday, February 5, the president of the MoDem, in the case of European parliamentary assistants, “for the benefit of the doubt”.
“For me it is a nightmare of seven years which has just ended with a decision without challenge from the court,” declared François Bayrou as he left the courtroom. Two other defendants were also acquitted, while the eight others, including five former MEPs, were sentenced to sentences ranging from 10 to 18 months in prison, fines of 10,000 to 50,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility. The UDF was fined 150,000 euros, including 100,000 euros, and the MoDem was fined 350,000 euros, 300,000 euros.
The High Commissioner for Planning, close to the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, was suspected of having been the “main decision-maker” of a “fraudulent system” which consisted, between 2005 and 2017, of using European funds to pay parliamentary assistants who actually worked for centrist organizations in France. At issue: 11 disputed contracts, for a total damage of 293,000 euros according to the European Parliament, civil party. Accusations that François Bayrou has always strongly contested.