CASE FRANCOIS DE RUGY OR THE TV SERIE OF THE SUMMER OF EMMANUEL MACRON

Wednesday morning, July 10, 2019, Mediapart revealed that François de Rugy, then president of the National Assembly, organized lavish private dinners at the expense of the taxpayer. With his wife, Séverine Servat de Rugy, he would have received several of their friends under the paneling of the hotel Lassay for evenings where the grands crus (500 euros the bottle) flowed and lobsters covered the tables.

François François de Rugy assumes and justifies himself. On the same day, Wednesday evening, another announcement falls. The journalist Fabrice Arfi of Mediapart reveals indeed in the wake that the minister's director of cabinet, Nicole Klein, still occupies a social housing in the XIVth district since 2001, while she did not work in Paris between 2006 and 2018 .

A situation that "deprived of housing one of the approximately 200,000 applicants for social housing in Paris, who wait for many years before obtaining an apartment," says Mediapart. The reaction of his boss François de Rugy was not long in waiting: she was dismissed without further trial, Thursday, July 11.

And a new revelation would tarnish the reputation of the minister. Thursday the 13th of July in the morning the De Rugy couple have made realize, according to Mediapart, more than 63 000 euros of work, always paid by the taxpayer, in their private apartments of the ministry. Of course the number 2 of the government was again quickly justified.

But wanting to extinguish the fire as soon as possible, two investigations were ordered by the government.

Emmanuel Macron still remembers the so-called "Benalla" case which began in July 2018 to be fueled until the spring of 2019. Each day brought its share of twists, as well in the columns of the World as in the other daily titles and weekly, which, as in the nineteenth century to Eugene Sue with The Mysteries of Paris published in the Journal des débats, kept the French in suspense.

Two open investigations that would clear François de Rugy

One is led by the services of the National Assembly and deals with the allegedly private dinners he organized at the Hotel de Lassay when he was its president. The other is headed by the General Secretariat of the Government (SGG) and concerns the work carried out in its former official residence of the Hotel de Roquelaure (VII), for an amount of 63,000 euros.

The result of these instructions should be unveiled Tuesday morning.

Part of the result of the investigations, however, transpired in the press that the famous dinners would all be "professional", thus clearing the former minister.

And what about the result of the inquiry organized by the Prime Minister's services on his job accommodation? He would be of the same ilk. The total bill of 63,000 euros is explained by the specificities of the building built in the eighteenth century and requiring specialized providers. These would be the conclusions of the inspection launched by Matignon and entrusted to the general secretariat of the government. The full report will be known on Tuesday.

Investigations by government-related services in place

"A joke," reacted on Twitter, Fabrice Arfi. "If the National Assembly has investigated De Rugy as she investigated Benalla, we know what to do," quipped the journalist Mediapart.

Especially when one dwells on the very nature of these two surveys, carried out by services related little or more to the power in place ...

"Besides, there is also the desire not to overwhelm him anymore. He has already paid a high price, "said a ministerial adviser according to Franceinfo. Especially since another file, much more sensitive, could potentially undermine Rugy: that of the payment in 2013 and 2014 of a portion of its contributions to EELV with its compensation representation fee (IRFM).

The beginning of a second "murderous summer" for Emmanuel Macron or late game ?