no public funds used for private purposes, according to the Ethics Commission of Paris City Hall

The Ethics Commission of the Paris town hall considers that no public funds were used for private purposes, concerning the trip of Anne Hidalgo to Tahiti, franceinfo learned on Friday November 10 from a source within this Commission. “The opinion considers that the official trip was financed by public funds and that the private trip was financed by private funds”indicated this source.

After her controversial trip to New Caledonia and Polynesia, from October 16 to 22, Anne Hidalgo contacted the Ethics Commission of the city of Paris. This was to give an opinion on the expenses of the elected representative on site. On its website, the city of Paris has chosen to publish an extract of this opinion but not the full opinion.

In this extract, we can read that the Ethics Commission judged that the trip made by Anne Hidalgo “is directly linked to the interests of the City of Paris, both in terms of its objects and meetings with various authorities”. On the other hand, the Commission notes “an exception” : “Part of the program was not carried out by the mayor of Paris” but by his deputy for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Pierre Rabadan, “as of October 21 afternoon”.

The Commission therefore notes that the City of Paris “did not suffer any harm” since the mayor of Paris “made a professional trip to New Caledonia and Polynesia financed by the Parisian community from October 16 to 21, 2023 morning as well as a private trip from October 21 afternoon to November 5, 2023 supported on its personal funds”. These movements are “ethically regular”concludes the extract.

Leaving “three weeks in this period is a mistake”

For his part, Pierre-Yves Bournazel, member of the board of Paris Horizons, believes that Anne Hidalgo’s mistake was above all to leave “three weeks”, he explains on franceinfo. After her official trip, the mayor of Paris actually continued her trip on private time and returned on November 5.

“Anne Hidalgo did not break the rules and fortunately”adds Pierre-Yves Bournazel. “Three weeks in this period is a mistake. It’s a long time and what’s more, she left with her chief of staff and her chief of staff. Who took care of Paris during that time?”he questions before concluding: “It’s a full-time job.”