London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

EU’s Qatar corruption scandal brings French links under scrutiny

EU’s Qatar corruption scandal brings French links under scrutiny

French lawmakers have questioned the country’s lobbying rules in light of the EU scandal.

Just as French President Emmanuel Macron is swooping into Qatar for the historic World Cup match between France and Morocco, the Gulf state’s corruption scandal in the European Parliament is making its way to Paris. 

The French head of state ignored calls from opposition lawmakers — including former presidential candidate and Greens MEP Yannick Jadot — to cancel his trip in the wake of the allegations that have already taken down European Parliament former Vice President Eva Kaili.

It’s no surprise that the Qatar corruption scandal at the heart of the EU has become part of the political conversation in France, as Paris has had a decades-long special — and sometimes controversial — relationship with Doha in areas including security, energy and culture.  

The Gulf state has also heavily invested in France and owns one of the country’s flagship football clubs: Paris Saint-Germain. 

On Tuesday, the French government was confronted in the National Assembly by the opposition about the national rules on lobbying. The framework, a Socialist lawmaker argued, is not fit-for-purpose to prevent similar corruption from foreign countries in France. 

“The facts you mention are serious, it is up to the European institutions to shed light on them and draw consequences,” replied junior minister Olivia Grégoire, adding that the executive branch is open to taking another look at the rules to make them stronger. 

The corruption allegations in the European Parliament have so far spared French MEPs. Several French lawmakers in Brussels including Manon Aubry and Leïla Chaibi from the Left group said they had been approached by the Gulf state but declined to engage. 

However, France is far from immune from the petromonarchy’s influence. 

Qatar has long-running close ties with France’s political elite, including former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

An ongoing investigation by the French financial prosecutor’s office is looking into potential corruption charges related to Qatar being awarded the 2022 World Cup and the role played by high-ranking French officials.

The World Cup has proven controversial in France, including with left-leaning mayors who decided to boycott the game. In November, Alexis Corbière, a leading figure on the left, publicly denounced Qatar’s intense lobbying efforts to change his mind on the World Cup, which he labelled a “social, ecological and democratic aberration.” 

Nonetheless, in France’s Parliament, Qatar has emerged as a go-to destination for lawmakers, according to data analyzed by POLITICO’s Paris Influence. 



Qatar is the fourth most-visited country by French MPs and senators since 2019, ranking right behind high-profile countries that are targets of French diplomacy such as Israel, the U.S. and China. In total, 12 lawmakers have spent a total of 38 days in the country.

And while lawmakers’ foreign trips can be financed by the private sector, trips to Qatar have been funded directly by the Gulf state, as evidenced in official records. 

Official records however do not provide information on budgets and spending, which makes it harder to put a price tag on those travels.

A few lawmakers including centrist senator Olivier Cadic, a staunch defender of Doha, have attended games at the Qatar World Cup. If France wins the semi finals, Macron will travel back to the Arabian peninsula on Sunday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×