For the president of the ecological and democratic socialist group, Laurent Wauquiez gives priority to the preparation of his political future, rather than the general interest of the community.
Published
Reading time :
7 mins
:quality(50)/2021/01/16/phpFOti0M.jpg)
“In this region, opacity reigns supreme”denounced this Thursday on franceinfo Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, regional advisor and president of the SED group in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, after the publication of an investigation by the Radio France investigation unit pointing to suspicions of fictitious jobs in within the team close to Laurent Wauquiez, president of the region.
“This opacity covers the priority given to Mr. Wauquiez to the preparation of his own political future over the general interest of the community“, she adds.
Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, denounced “misleading information“.”I regret that the journalists were exploited“, he added, specifying that he wanted to exercise his “right of reply (…) to reestablish the truth of the facts”.
A precedent that sows doubt
“It would be easier to support Mr. Wauquiez’s defense if there were not already many precedents“, estimates the former Minister of National Education. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem recalls that Laurent Wauquiez has already been caught in the so-called affair “of the summit dinner“.
In February 2023, searches were carried out on premises in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region as part of an investigation opened regarding a sumptuous dinner given by Laurent Wauquiez at the Château de La Chaize (Rhône), financed with taxpayer’s money. The cost of the dinner was estimated by Mediapart at “a little over 100,000 euros“, a final addition of more than 1,100 euros per guest.
“In the absence of elements likely to reassure us about the existence of these jobs and what they were intended for, we will take legal action“, also warned Najat Vallaud-Belkacem on October 19 on franceinfo.