While the second wave of the reshuffle seems imminent, the Paris court ruled this Monday morning in the case of European parliamentary assistants on the fate of the president of the MoDem, indicted in 2019 and that of ten centrist executives and elected officials .
François Bayrou was released.
The court found that there was no proof that the latter was aware of the non-execution of the contracts in question, nor that he was able to give directives to the MEPs in question concerning the hiring of their parliamentary assistants.
The former Minister of Justice Michel Mercier, tried for embezzlement of public funds while he worked as treasurer of the MoDem, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a fine of 20,000 euros, as well as a sentence two years of suspended ineligibility.
The other treasurer, Jean-Jacques Jégou, received the same suspended sentence of ineligibility, as well as a 12-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 10,000 euros.
The former financial director of MoDem, Alexandre Nardella, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a fine of 20,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility.
Five MEPs were also sentenced to suspended prison sentences of several months, as well as a suspended fine and two years of suspended ineligibility.
Sentences sometimes exceed the requisitions.
Stéphane Thérou, the only parliamentary assistant who was tried for concealment of embezzlement of public funds, was acquitted.
Just like the former director general of MoDem, Pierre-Emmanuel Portheret, acquitted for lack of material evidence.
Hotly contested accusations
François Bayrou, a 72-year-old three-time presidential candidate, who appeared from October 16 to November 21, 2023, was present for the delivery of the decision by the president of the 11th correctional chamber.
Considering that he was guilty of acts "undermining the values of probity and exemplarity that he promotes", the prosecution requested against him 30 months of suspended imprisonment, a fine of 70,000 euros and three years of suspended ineligibility, for complicity, by instigation, in the embezzlement of European public funds.
Accusations that François Bayrou has always strongly contested.
Also read “I raised two questions”: Bayrou’s shadow during the choice of the new Prime Minister
This judicial sword of Damocles has, in any case, not prevented the mayor of Pau from fighting to assert his demands with a view to the second wave of the reshuffle: retaining the same number of MoDem portfolios as under Élisabeth Borne, or even gleaning some. one more.
Not to mention that the rumor, even if he laughs about it, presents him as a potential replacement for Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Minister of National Education deemed “burned” by everyone.