French politicians will no longer be allowed to employ their spouses or children as parliamentary assistants under rules adopted in response to a scandal involving former Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his wife
The rules were adopted in response to a scandal involving former Prime Minister Francois Fillon (right) and his wife, Penelope. Pic/AFP
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French politicians will no longer be allowed to employ their spouses or children as parliamentary assistants under rules adopted in response to a scandal involving former Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his wife.
The law, one of the first to be approved since President Emmanuel Macron's election in May, will apply to ministers and members of parliament, bringing France into line with countries like Germany and ending what is a widespread family business. The essential clauses of the legislation were voted through by members of the National Assembly in votes on Wednesday night and Thursday.
Macron won the presidential contest promising he would end practices blamed for widespread voter distrust of politicians. One of his hottest competitors in the presidential race was Fillon, a conservative ex-prime minister whose campaign was destroyed by a scandal involving payments to his British spouse Penelope.
The affair was exposed by media in late January, prompting a judicial inquiry, still underway, into allegations that Fillon paid wife Penelope hundreds of thousands of euros over years for little, if any, work as an assistant. He also paid two of the couple's children for similar work. Although he denounced what he called a 'dirty tricks' campaign and denied having done anything illegal, he admitted an error of judgment. The scandal thrust the spotlight on the family hires of dozens of other politicians.
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