French President Emmanuel Macron has downplayed the importance of the investigations opened by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office into the 2017 and 2022 election campaigns: «It is normal for justice to do its job and to do it freely.»
Macron, in his first reaction after learning of the inquiries on Thursday, has defended from Dijon the «transparency», highlighting that the 2017 accounts have already been audited and «verified», according to the BFMTV channel. Likewise, he has also claimed that he is not «at the center» of the investigation.
The Prosecutor’s Office reported on Thursday the opening of two judicial proceedings in October, on account of alleged irregularities and, in particular, actions of favoritism. Investigators have questioned the role of the U.S. consulting firm McKinsey, suspected of tax crimes.
These measures derive in turn from a report drawn up by a Senate commission promoted by the left and which questioned the growing influence of consulting firms in the public administration since Macron’s arrival at the Elysée in 2017.