Rachida Dati, France’s high-profile culture minister and candidate for mayor of Paris, is facing trial alongside Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive former auto executive, over an alleged corruption deal worth €900,000, equivalent to approximately $978,000 USD at today’s exchange rate.
The charges stem from allegations that Ghosn, 71, paid Dati, 59, while she was serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), for lobbying services on behalf of Renault-Nissan between 2010 and 2012 — activities that are explicitly prohibited for MEPs under EU rules.
French prosecutors claim the payments were part of a covert lobbying agreement. The 175-page indictment reportedly found no evidence of actual consultancy work carried out by Dati, undermining her and Ghosn’s defense that the money was paid legally for strategic advice related to Renault’s expansion into the Middle East and North Africa.
Both Dati and Ghosn strongly deny any wrongdoing.
Dati has been formally charged with corruption, influence peddling, breach of trust, and receiving the proceeds of abuse of power. Ghosn, who has been living in Lebanon since his dramatic escape from Japan in 2019 while facing separate financial misconduct charges, is accused of breach of trust, abuse of power, corruption, and influence peddling.
According to Le Monde, a preliminary court hearing is expected in September, with the trial likely to take place sometime in 2026 — shortly after the crucial Paris mayoral elections scheduled for March.
The timing presents a major political challenge for Dati, who is currently the leading candidate to replace Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo. Known for her combative style and strong media presence, Dati will now have to campaign under the cloud of a looming criminal trial — a situation her internal party rivals may seek to exploit.
Chief among those eyeing her downfall is Michel Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, who is maneuvering to run in a by-election in Dati’s political stronghold. Though both belong to the centre-right Republicans party, the rivalry between them has intensified, with Dati hinting she would challenge him directly if necessary.
This case also delivers another blow to President Emmanuel Macron. Dati’s appointment to the culture ministry in January 2024 was seen as a bold move to add political firepower to his struggling cabinet. Her potential downfall could further destabilize a government already criticized for being disjointed and lacking charisma.
As the legal battle begins to unfold, all eyes in France will be watching to see whether Rachida Dati — once a rising star in conservative politics — can hold on to her mayoral ambitions, or whether this corruption case will ultimately end her political career.
