PARIS: French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve will meet Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux on Tuesday over accusations he employed his daughters for summer jobs while he was a member of parliament, a source in the prime minister’s office said.
The employment of family members by politicians has become a hot-button issues in the French presidential election after conservative candidate Francois Fillon became embroiled in a scandal over his employing his wife as his parliamentary assistant.
A report by satirical show Quotidien said on Monday that Le Roux employed his two daughters several times as parliamentary assistants during their school breaks.
Earlier in March, embattled French presidential hopeful Francois Fillon vowed that “no one” could force him to quit as he dug in despite calls to withdraw over an expenses scandal, with party leaders heading for a crisis meeting over his candidacy.
The conservative was in a defiant mood after holding a rally in Paris attended by tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters.
“No one today can prevent me being a candidate,” Fillon said in a TV interview in which he again said an investigation into allegations he gave his wife a highly paid fake parliamentary job was politically motivated.
Fillon had previously promised to quit if he were charged but has since pulled back from the pledge. He portrays himself as a victim of injustice who intends to put his case directly to the people.
