#White collar crime:

Fillon Case: Four-Year Suspended Prison Sentence Requested Against French Former Prime Minister in Fake Jobs Scandal

On April 29, the Attorney General requested a sentence of four years’ imprisonment with a suspended sentence, a fine of 375,000 euros, and ten years of ineligibility for François Fillon, thereby dismissing the prison sentence handed down in 2022. This new hearing, following a cassation referral, focuses solely on the sentence, as the conviction of the former Prime Minister for misappropriation of public funds in the fictitious employment case involving his wife is already final. During the hearing, he denounced special treatment related to his presidential candidacy. > Read article

Death of Pope Francis: Italian cardinal convicted of fraud renounces conclave

Angelo Becciu, Italian cardinal and former close advisor to the late pope, announced through his lawyer that he would not participate in the conclave sessions starting on May 7. This decision follows Angelo Becciu’s conviction by the Italian judiciary in 2023 for fraud within the Vatican, a conviction he has appealed. > Read article

Law on drug trafficking definitively adopted by Parliament

Parliament definitively adopted the bill aimed at “freeing France from the trap of drug trafficking” on April 29, 2025, following a vote in the National Assembly. The bill seeks to strengthen the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking by establishing a specialized national prosecution office (PNACO), enhancing measures against money laundering and corruption, and introducing new special investigative techniques, such as the so-called “dossier coffre” However, some members of Parliament have announced their intention to refer the law to the Constitutional Council, arguing that certain provisions infringe on individual freedoms. > Read article

#Dispute resolution & regulatory investigations:

French personal data increasingly hacked online

In its annual report published on April 29, 2025, the CNIL expressed concern over a significant increase in data breaches recorded in 2024, reporting a 20% rise compared to 2023. To more effectively address this trend, the independent administrative authority plans to require two-factor authentication for organizations processing the personal data of more than two million French citizens and to strengthen oversight of how mobile applications and AI technologies use personal data. In addition, the CNIL is increasingly imposing sanctions on entities that fail to comply with data protection regulations. > Read article

#Ethics and Compliance:

Jean Maïa, President of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life: “We need more resources, otherwise the effectiveness of our oversight will be compromised.”

In an interview with Le Monde published on April 27, 2025, Jean Maïa, the new president of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP), emphasizes that 2024 saw a record number of audits compared to 2023. However, he warns of insufficient resources for the institution, which affects its effectiveness. He advocates for increased human and financial resources and the granting of autonomous sanction powers. Maïa also stresses the need for better oversight of transitions between the public and private sectors. Lastly, he discusses a new mission for the HATVP starting July 1, 2025: to regulate foreign influence, including the creation of a register for influence activities. > Read article