The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-16 · by Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
Former French culture minister Rachida Dati has gone on trial in Paris for corruption charges related to receiving €900,000 from a Renault-Nissan subsidiary while serving as an MEP. Prosecutors claim the payment was for illegal lobbying, which is banned; however, Dati’s defense argues she provided legal services exclusively and there's no evidence of her performing such work. The case also involves Carlos Ghosn, who will be tried in absentia, and prosecutors allege that a contract between Dati and Ghosn disguised lobbying activities. If convicted, Dati faces up to 10 years imprisonment and fines exceeding €450,000, along with a potential five-year ban from holding public office.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
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Story summary
Rachida Dati, a former French culture minister and member of the European parliament, is on trial in Paris for corruption charges linked to her dealings with Renault-Nissan. Prosecutors allege that she received €900,000 (£770,000) from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan while she was an MEP, and claim this payment was not for legal services but rather as compensation for illegal lobbying activities, which are banned for MEPs. Dati's defense team argues that the money was solely for her work as a lawyer. The case involves Carlos Ghosn, the former CEO of Renault-Nissan, who will be tried in absentia due to his detention in Japan since November 2018 on unrelated financial misconduct charges. The court must determine if Dati engaged in any illegal lobbying and whether she provided legitimate legal services for her fees.
Written for “French Culture Minister Corruption Trial” on 2026-09-17,
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No political leaning scored for article 13937 · logged 2026-09-16
Rachida Dati, a former French culture minister, has gone on trial in Paris on corruption charges linked to dealings with the Renault-Nissan carmaking group.
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Dati → go → group
Dati, 60, is accused of illegal lobbying when she accepted €900,000 (£770,000) in lawyer’s fees from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan while she was a member of the European parliament.
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she → accuse → parliament
The court will have to decide what the money was for.
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money → have → what
Dati’s legal team denied all corruption allegations, saying she worked “exclusively” as a lawyer for the Renault-Nissan subsidiary.
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she → deny → subsidiary
French prosecutors argue that she was instead paid to lobby for the carmaking group, an activity that is banned for members of the European parliament.
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that → argue → parliament
Prosecutors said there was a lack of evidence to show Dati had carried out legal work.
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Dati → say → work
Dati was placed under investigation in 2019 on suspicion of illegally lobbying for Renault-Nissan between October 2009 and February 2013, when she was an MEP.
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she → place → October
Dati is on trial with Carlos Ghosn, the disgraced former Renault-Nissan chief, who will be tried in absentia.
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who → try → absentia
Ghosn, 72, was detained in Japan in November 2018 amid allegations of financial misconduct in a separate case involving a plot to falsify records about his personal pay in order to enrich himself.
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Ghosn → detain → himself
He dodged trial in Japan after escaping to Lebanon in an audio equipment case.
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He → dodge → case
He has denied all wrongdoing in the Japan case as well as in the Dati case.
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He → deny → case
French prosecutors argue that a legal services contract signed in 2009 between Dati and Ghosn, in which Dati was paid an annual fee of €300,000, was used to disguise lobbying work.
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Dati → argue → work
Investigators obtained the contract in 2019 during a search of Renault’s headquarters after Ghosn’s arrest in Japan.
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Investigators → obtain → Japan
She was the first woman of north African and Muslim heritage to hold a major French government post when she was appointed justice minister by the rightwing president Nicolas Sarkozy.
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she → hold → president
She returned to government under Emmanuel Macron, as culture minister.
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She → return → minister
Dati redefined political celebrity in France, and has said growing up as the second of 11 children on a low-income housing estate on the outskirts of Chalon-sur-Saône in Burgundy gave her a greater understanding of the French electorate.
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growing → redefine → electorate
She ran for mayor of Paris earlier this year, but lost to the Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire.
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She → run → Socialist
If convicted, Dati faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to €450,000.
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Dati → convict → 450,000
She could also face a five-year ban on holding public office.
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She → face → office
Dati’s lawyers said: “Unfounded allegations of influence peddling in the European parliament stem from an artificial intellectual construct devised by the prosecution.”
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allegations → say → prosecution
In a separate investigation, Dati has been accused of accepting nearly €300,000 in undeclared payments from the energy group GDF Suez, also while an MEP.
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Dati → accuse → group
Prosecutors said last year they were looking into reports Dati failed to declare jewellery and watches worth €420,000 upon taking ministerial office.
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Dati → say → office
She has denied any wrongdoing in all cases.
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She → deny → cases
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