Former French PM Édouard Philippe under judicial investigation

France's ex-PM Édouard Philippe, who currently serves as mayor of Le Havre, is under formal judicial investigation over allegations including misuse of public funds, favouritism, conflict of interest, and corruption-related offences.

According to the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office, cited by BFMTV, the case has been assigned to an investigating judge. The probe stems from a whistleblower complaint filed in 2023, with searches conducted as part of the investigation in 2024.

Philippe has rejected the allegations. His associates said he “will calmly answer all questions from the justice system.”

The investigation also involves Stéphanie de Bazelaire and Claire-Sophie Tazias.

The case centers on a 2020 agreement related to the development of a digital hub in Le Havre. Under this arrangement, the LH French Tech association, led by de Bazelaire, was awarded the contract and received more than €2.1 million in public funds following a tender process in which it was the only participant.

A whistleblower previously argued that in this case “the conflict of interest seems absolutely obvious.”

By Tamilla Hasanova