The Economist reports that two junior ministers from the French government have resigned over expense report discrepancies like $ 15,000 Cuban cigars and $ 147,489 for a private jet to fly to “a conference devoted to the penniless victims of the Haiti earthquake.” Now many different scandals concerning the acceptance of illegal campaign contributions have touched French Labor Minister Eric Woerth and even President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Resource for this article: Sarkozy bribing scandal rocks French government by Personal Money Store
Now the Sarkozy scandal allegedly involves L’Oréal heiress
Various media sources are claiming that Eric Woerth and his wife may have known about alleged tax evasion perpetrated by Liliane Bettencourt, L’Oréal heiress and also the richest woman in Europe. At various dinner parties thrown by Bettencourt, it is common knowledge the hearing-impaired 87-year-old heiress would distribute envelopes filled with cash to her “friends” who may have needed to borrow money fast to boost their political currency. Considering that Mrs. Woerth also works for Bettencourt in a money management venture, the blind eye turned to Bettencourt’s possible tax evasion and also the allegations of hundreds of thousands of dollars in what could amount to political bribes are particularly damning. In the final act of “Sarkozy Scandal,” President Sarkozy supposedly accepted nearly $ 200,000 in envelope money when he was nevertheless mayor of Neuilly, a well-to-do Paris suburb.
French law only allows € 7,500 in individual contributions
Fraud is taken very seriously in France, indicates The Economist. If a politician were to accept more than € 7,500 (just under $ 10,000 USD), authorities take notice. Nicolas Sarkozy and Eric Woerth have denied any wrongdoing, as has Bettencourt. Yet the denials do little to protect the current regime from public scorn. The Sarkozy scandal is one more indication that his reform efforts may have tightened the belt for the working class while maintaining a decadent status quo for the elite. The European Union has cracked down on banker bonuses; shouldn’t special attention be paid to politicians who may be on the take?
Charisma and insincerity from politicians
President Sarkozy has taken the ax to the perks typically granted French politicians. Maybe he’s seeking to prove to those beaten down that he understands their plight. However, numerous critics discover that once the engaging presence is set aside, Nicolas Sarkozy is failing to connect with and serve the voting public. If his alleged need for additional cash (for himself and his cabinet members) and supposed connection to any cash now services of Liliane Bettencourt are any indication, then Mr. Sarkozy’s scruples have a price.
Discover more about this topic here:
The Economist
economist.com/node/16539490?story_id=16539490&fsrc=rss
National Public Radio
npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128376910
More on the biggest crisis of Sarkozy’s presidency:
youtube.com/watch?v=RTn9jldFpes
