Corruption and Misuse of Power Charges Lead to Trial for France's Minister of Culture
Rachida Dati, the former French culture minister, is set to stand trial on corruption and abuse of power charges after a pre-trial hearing scheduled for September 29, 2025. The Paris criminal court will decide the official trial date at this hearing, and it is expected that the trial might take place after the Paris municipal elections in March 2026.
The trial stems from allegations that Dati received approximately €900,000 between 2010 and 2012 from a Dutch subsidiary of Renault-Nissan for legal fees, allegedly without performing corresponding work. Prosecutors claim this was a form of illicit lobbying to favor Renault-Nissan interests in the European Parliament, an activity that is prohibited for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
Dati has denied these allegations, characterizing the case as politically motivated with no credible evidence. Her legal team has indicated they will appeal decisions related to the trial.
Interestingly, Carlos Ghosn, Renault-Nissan's 71-year-old former boss, is also facing trial. Ghosn, who escaped to Lebanon from Japan in 2019 to avoid arrest and was subsequently dismissed by Nissan's board, is wanted by both Japan and France for his alleged financial misconduct.
Rachida Dati, during her tenure as an MEP from 2009 to 2019, is accused of receiving 900,000 euros ($1 million) in lawyer's fees from a Holland-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan without working for them. French investigating magistrates are investigating whether Dati was lobbying for Renault-Nissan in the European Parliament, an activity that is banned.
The Paris municipal elections in 2026 will be a significant event, as they will determine the French capital's next mayor. The timing of Dati's trial is subject to change due to these elections, and it could potentially be held after the elections, according to a source. Dati has publicly stated her ambition to become mayor of Paris in 2026.
The trial for Dati is expected to take place in the wake of the Paris municipal elections, scheduled for March 2026. The date of the trial is yet to be definitively set, but it is expected to be after the elections. A hearing on September 29 will determine the date of the trial.
- Despite Rachida Dati's ambition to become the mayor of Paris in 2026, her upcoming trial on corruption charges, stemming from allegations of receiving illicit funds for lobbying within the European Parliament, might take place after the Paris municipal elections in March 2026.
- The painting of French politics, with the upcoming trial of Rachida Dati for alleged corruption, isSet to be featured prominently in the general-news and crime-and-justice sections, as it involves a former culture minister and accused lobbying activities for Renault-Nissan in the European Parliament.
