Paris
French Finance Minister Hervé Gaymard resigned this week, after admitting that he leased a luxury apartment with taxpayer money. Gaymard, who is close to French President Jacques Chirac and was widely seen as a future prime minister, recently told the magazine Paris Match that he was a “humble” worker’s son with “no personal wealth.” But an investigation by the newspapers Le Canard Enchainé and Libération turned up multiple properties in Gaymard’s name, including a house in the Alps and another in Brittany. The most damaging revelation was that the fancy Paris apartment the Finance Ministry leased for him cost $18,500 a month. As finance minister, Gaymard had pledged to cut wasteful spending.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Mickey 17: 'charming space oddity' that's a 'sparky one-off'The Week Recommends 'Remarkable' Robert Pattinson stars in Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi comedy
-
EastEnders at 40: are soaps still relevant?Talking Point Albert Square's residents are celebrating, but falling viewer figures have fans worried the soap bubble has burst
-
What will the thaw in Russia-US relations cost Europe?Today's Big Question US determination to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine means Europe faces 'betrayal by a long-term ally'
