Coup de theater: Macron's "pension reform commando" pinned down in a rigged market case
Olivier Dussopt, Minister of Labor and indefatigable "pension reform commando" has just received an investigation report from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) which suspects him of an offense of favoritism with one of the French giants of the water, according to information from Mediapart . Barely revealed on February 3, the case begins to make waves.
Very bad news that comes at the wrong time for Macron. While the pension reform is very strongly contested by a huge part of the French population, its Minister of Labour, Olivier Dussopt, "commando of the pension reform", has just been singled out by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) which suspects him of the offense of favoritism with one of the French water giants, the Saur group.
This is at least the revelation made, in recent hours, by Mediapart . “Olivier Dussopt couldn't imagine a worse schedule. According to information from Mediapart, the Minister of Labor, in the political and media front line with the pension reform, received in recent days a damning investigation report from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), which suspects him of a crime of favoritism in a rigged market with one of the French water giants, the Saur group,” reveals the source.
Mediapart tells us a little more about this affair which is shaking the Elysée. “As Mediapart has already said, the company has had strong links with the town of Annonay for several decades. The group has long been a water service delegate. But after an unfavorable report from the regional chamber of accounts in 1998, then under pressure from the Association of water users in the Annonay region, Olivier Dussopt, elected mayor of the city in 2008, did not extended the affermage contract with Saur, which expired at the end of 2009”.
And the investigative media continued: "He had decided to go public, while signing a service contract with Saur for five years for the operation of drinking water structures (including operation, monitoring, maintenance of the works, and customer management of the service). This contract, renewed in 2016 , had attracted the wrath of the association of water users in the Annonay region, which had denounced a “ sleight of hand”.
At the Elysée, the case is taken very seriously mainly because of the current political and social context. “The news, which was quick to circulate discreetly within the government, causes the greatest embarrassment at the Élysée and at Matignon, where the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister see their minister most exposed on the pension reform now be weakened by formal accusations of breaches of probity, in addition to strong social protest in the street, ”reports Mediapart.
- Source : Sheikh Dieng
