Oppositions to the head of state continue to use the government’s recourse against him to the US Council accused of tax evasion.
Le Monde with AFP
Rich in Lyrique flights, due to many meetings, the last weekend before the first round of the presidential election was also marked by the controversial, tenacious, of the government’s action to consulting firms – and in particular American McKinsey, accused of tax evasion.
Place du Capitol in Toulouse, in front of 20,000 sympathizers, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has castigated the head of state, which has in this way “bring the private in the state”. “Who can believe that a private company will give advice for the general interest?”, Questioned the tribune of France unsuitable. At the circus of winter in Paris, where she was also in meetings, the Socialist Anne Hidalgo saw in Emmanuel Macron a “man deciding alone … almost alone, with his friends from McKinsey”. In front of his supporters in Pau, Jean Lassalle has ironed on a “subscriber” president to the services of the American Cabinet, without appointing him.
The leader of Senators The Republicans, Bruno Retail, denounced a “mix of genres between the private and then the public”. In the broadcast “The great appointment” Europe 1 / CNEWS / Les Echos, the honorable senator denounced “callamic state management” and “dependence” with “foreign firms”. For the head of the national rally, Jordan Bardella, Emmanuel Macron became “the loop of private interest”, in “hallucinating contradiction” with his speech “when he speaks to us of French independence”. The Eric Zemmour far-right candidate accused the same Emmanuel Macron chain for “elevator referral”, with reference to McKinsey executives who would have supported Mr. Macron for his first presidential campaign in 2017.
“We assume”
In the face of the continuous criticism of the oppositions, two ministers again justified, Sunday, the contracts placed with this society. “We assume, the State has always used consulting firms since the early 2000s, the Minister of Public Accounts, Olivier Dussopt said, earlier in the day on Radio J. Valérie Pécresse implemented the University Reform Law relying on consulting firms. To the right and on the left, they lead local authorities that use them. State spending in intellectual benefits represent 0.3% of the all wages of state agents. Throughout Europe is four times more. ”
His colleague of public transformation, Amelie de Montchalin, wanted in the express ” dissociating what legitimate background debate “and” what is false information “, and refused to” say that there was favoritism of this or that company, because public procurement responds to very strict rules and numerous controls. ” The leader of the deputies the Republic in March, Christophe Castaner, denounced, on RMC, a “political operation”.
“Suspicion of false testimony”
The Senate, dominated by the right opposition, had revealed on March 17, as part of a commission of inquiry, that the contracts concluded with the consulting firms like McKinsey had “more than Doubled “between 2018 and 2021, reaching a record amount of more than one billion euros in 2021. Senators also seized justice for” suspicion of false testimony “against a McKinsey leader who said that his firm was paying well the corporation tax (IS) in France, while the Commission of Inquiry noted that the French entities of McKinsey had not paid any IS for ten years.
“If there is evidence of manipulation, which it goes to the penal”, launched March 27 Emmanuel Macron to those who blame those many contracts. The Candidate President considered that the non-payment of the IS by McKinsey was explained by the tax rules in force.