The former Prime Minister recently proposed to the National Assembly to pay him nearly 700,000 euros over the next 10 years. A way to present yourself in your best light before your final trial scheduled for November 25…
Seven years after the outbreak of the affair which, according to him, cost him his accession to the Élysée, François Fillon plans to “return the money” – as the famous expression used by his detractors at the time put it. of the affair – unduly received thanks to the fictitious parliamentary assistant jobs held by his wife, Penelope, at the National Assembly.
According to our information, the former Prime Minister sent, around ten days ago, a memorandum of understanding providing for the payment of 689,989.32 euros to the Bourbon Palace, spread over the next ten years.
This very precise amount obviously owes nothing to chance. It corresponds to the damages that the former Prime Minister was “jointly” ordered to pay to the National Assembly with his wife Penelope and his former deputy Marc Joulaud by the Paris Court of Appeal on May 9, 2022: 679,989, 32 euros to which must be added 10,000 euros in legal costs.
The timing of this proposal, too, owes nothing to chance. On April 24, the Court of Cassation definitively confirmed the guilt of the former right-wing contender at the Élysée for “embezzlement of public funds”. But, she also considered that the sentence which had been imposed on him – four years in prison including one year under an electronic bracelet – had not been sufficiently justified by the court of appeal in 2022.
“Result: there will be a new trial on November 25. Only to redefine François Fillon’s sentence,” indicates a source close to the case. “And to avoid too heavy a sanction, Fillon wants to present himself in his best light. By showing that he has understood the facts and that he has finally planned to return the money…”
“François Fillon is not a drug trafficker after all!”
In reality, the former presidential candidate did not wait until the last moment to do his homework. According to information from BFMTV, discussions on this subject have been underway for several months. Before the summer, an agreement had even been concluded with the Questure, responsible for these negotiations within the Assembly.
“The problem is that the quaestor who managed it was none other… than Éric Ciotti,” confirms a close friend of François Fillon. “Afterwards, there was the dissolution… And Éric Ciotti took a different path. Impossible to know if the deal was still valid or not…”
“Yes, an agreement had been planned before the dissolution,” confirms a highly placed parliamentary source today. “It already provided for a payment of around 600,000 euros over 10 or 15 years. The question of applying an interest rate to François Fillon arose. But ultimately, it was decided to be satisfied with the amount of damages alone. -interests.” This is confirmed by someone close to the case: “We had to show respect for François Fillon. He is not a drug trafficker after all! The goal is to reach an agreement.”
As long as we remove the last obstacle on the road. And not the least. The National Assembly wishes, in fact, that François Fillon presents guarantees for his reimbursement. “He is young (70 years old) and in good health,” continues one of our sources. “But who tells us that he will still be in 10 years? Who tells us that he will still be able to 'return the money'?” A question which comes up against the fact that we cannot guarantee a judgment debt in the same way as we can a real estate loan. “The only solution would be for the National Assembly to take a mortgage on the Fillon manor in Sarthe,” continues one of our sources. “But she will never dare to do it…”
Who knows? Negotiations are expected to continue as the November 25 trial approaches. As one of the negotiators on the front line sums it up vividly: “To be presentable on the day of the ball, you should always remember to take your suit to the dry cleaners before…”
