The opposition says it is convinced that this has happened, calling among other things for the establishment of a commission of inquiry in the French National Assembly.
The subject is the subject of intense political controversy in France Uber and in particular whether and to what extent Emmanuel Macron during the period 2014-2016, i.e. during the presidency of François Hollande of whom he was Minister of Economy, methodized the establishment of the American multinational in France with opaque procedures.
The opposition says it is convinced that this has happened, calling among other things for the establishment of a commission of inquiry in the French National Assembly.
On the other hand, the government officials argue that from the documents of the international journalistic investigation that have seen the light of day, there is no evidence of illegal behavior by the current president, that it was natural as the Minister of Economy to consult at that time with market players and business representatives and that in the final analysis he considered and considers the establishment of Uber to be positive for the French economy.
Beyond these, however, for most media and analysts, the way in which the multinational company imposed its presence in most major European cities and the limits of the operation of the so-called “lobbies” is of more general concern.
At the political level, the recriminations continued today with the MP of the left-wing People’s Union and head of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, accusing Emmanuel Macron that when he was Minister of Economy, “quietly and secretly, he closed a deal”, which was “her Trojan horse destruction of part of the French labor legislation”.
On the other hand, Jordan Bardella, MP and president of Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, said that “Macron favored American private companies” and “does not defend French interests”.
Dismissing these accusations, the budget minister close to Emmanuel Macron, Gabriel Attal, said that “as usual the opposition made a ton of foam with a gram of soap” noting that “we are talking about an economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, who said everywhere that he was in favor of the liberalization of the economy, the arrival of new actors to break certain monopolies but also in favor of strengthening purchasing power, employment and the development of services provided to the French”.
Today’s French press deals extensively with the issue.
Citing Britain’s Guardian, the newspaper Liberation notes that former Uber lobbyist Mark McGann, who leaked Uber files and documents, says he personally helped Macron raise funds for his then-fledgling party, but clarified that his political support for the French president was a personal decision and had “absolutely nothing to do with Uber”.
In the same newspaper, the Socialist former President of the Republic, Francois Hollandestates that he was never “aware of the slightest agreement” between his former minister and the top executives of the American multinational.
For its part, the newspaper Le Mondewho is involved in the media that revealed the Uber files, points out that “Macronists are rallying around the French president” without seeing “nothing reprehensible and no scandal”.
The parliamentary representative of the Macron faction, Oror Berger, states that “we should be satisfied that Macron has always favored the establishment of foreign companies in France” and that this is a false assumption based on a non-content issue.
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