Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal considered that the association fulfilled the “conditions for exercising the rights recognized to the civil party.”
After months of wrangling with the government, the anti-corruption association Anticor has regained its approval allowing it to intervene in political and financial matters, the entourage of resigning Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told AFP on Thursday.
The courts had ordered the head of government on Wednesday to re-examine Anticor’s request. “within twenty-four hours”under penalty of having to pay “1000 euros per day of delay at the end of this period”.
The Paris administrative court had already, by decision dated August 9, “orders the Prime Minister to reconsider the request for approval” from the anti-corruption association “within fifteen days”which he had not done. The association had therefore asked the court to “move to the next level” by imposing “a penalty” on the government financial.
According to the decree signed Thursday by Gabriel Attal, and made public by Anticor, the latter “fulfils the conditions (…) for approval of anti-corruption associations with a view to exercising the rights granted to the civil party”The association is therefore approved. “for a period of three years”is mentioned in the decree.
“This decision rewards the fierce fight we have been waging before the administrative courts for so many months. It is a major victory for civil society. The fight has overcome the political blockage.”rejoiced Anticor’s lawyer, Me Vincent Brengarth.
160 procedures
Anticor, founded in 2002 “to fight corruption and restore ethics in politics”had lost its approval in June 2023 following a decision by the administrative court, subsequently confirmed on appeal.
This provision has allowed it since 2015 to intervene in legal proceedings, including sensitive cases, in particular by constituting itself as a civil party in the event of inaction by the public prosecutor. Matignon had then explained to AFP that it was waiting for the decision of the Council of State before making a ruling.
Anticor is involved in more than 160 procedures including the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar, the investigation into illegal taking of interests targeting the Secretary General of the Elysée Alexis Kohler, close to Emmanuel Macron, and the sale of Alstom’s energy branch to General Electric.
