France's National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) has requested a four-year prison sentence for Rachida Dati, the country's former culture minister, in a corruption trial in Paris. The sentence includes two years to be served under an electronic bracelet. Dati, of Moroccan origin, is accused of illegally lobbying the European Parliament on behalf of carmaker Renault between 2009 and 2013 in exchange for €900,000.
Prosecutors also called for five years of ineligibility with immediate effect, which would strip Dati of her mandate as mayor of Paris's 7th arrondissement. Additionally, they requested a €450,000 fine, equal to half the fees she received, and the confiscation of €900,000 from her assets. The PNF also asked the court to bar Dati from practicing law and to revoke her position as a magistrate, into which she was recently reinstated.
Dati served as justice minister in 2009 and as culture minister from 2024 to 2026. She stood trial for passive corruption and passive influence peddling alongside Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault CEO, who was tried in absentia. Prosecutors argue that the €900,000 paid to Dati by the Renault-Nissan alliance was a disguise for illegal lobbying at the European Parliament.
The case centers around a fee agreement between Dati and Ghosn worth €300,000 per year before tax. Dati received the full amount between 2010 and 2012. Prosecutors pointed to three parliamentary questions Dati raised on the automotive sector, along with positions favorable to the manufacturer, as evidence of her alleged corruption.
Prosecutor Julien Augereau argued that the absence of any service provided despite the payment characterizes the offenses. His colleague, Caroline Genin, told the court that the conduct caused a clear harm to democracy and the trust that citizens can place in their elected officials. The two prosecutors condemned what they called a betrayal of virtue and exemplarity, a spirit of greed, and a will to capitalize on a public mandate.
Dati has denied the charges throughout the proceedings and requested an acquittal. She maintains that she worked as a lawyer for Renault-Nissan on international files involving Morocco, Algeria, Turkiye, and Iran. Her defense opened its pleadings in the afternoon, with attorney Antoine Beauquier calling the requested penalties a civil death.
The Paris court will deliberate before delivering its verdict at a later date. Prosecutors also sought four years in prison, a €375,000 fine, and the maintenance of the international arrest warrant for Ghosn, who is a fugitive in Lebanon. The verdict will have significant implications for Dati's future in politics and law.
Key points
- Prosecutors seek 4-year sentence for Rachida Dati over alleged corruption.
- Dati denies charges, maintains she worked as a lawyer for Renault-Nissan.
- Verdict to be delivered at a later date.
