French ex-minister charged in EU 'fake jobs' scandal

Former French justice minister Michel Mercier has been charged with complicity in the embezzlement of public money over allegations his party gave members suspected fake jobs as European Parliament assistants, legal sources said Friday.

Mercier, a former treasurer of the centrist MoDem party which is allied to President Emmanuel Macron's LREM party, was charged on Wednesday, the sources said.

The 72-year-old is the second senior party member to be charged over the alleged use of European Parliament funds earmarked for parliamentary assistants to pay staff for party work in France instead.

Last week, the party's financial director Alexandre Nardella was also charged with complicity in, and concealment of the misuse of public funds.

MoDem is not the only French party accused of the fraudulent use of EU funds.

Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and the far-left France Unbowed have also been accused of tapping into EU funds for parliamentary assistants to pay for party work at home.