Interview on BFMTV with Pascal Prache, head of the French financial prosecutor’s office (PNF), about how the office handles politically sensitive corruption and misuse-of-funds cases involving major figures like Édouard Philippe, Dominique de Villepin, Nicolas Sarkozy and Marine Le Pen. Prache’s core message is that the PNF applies the law impartially, opens cases based on complaints, referrals or journalistic reporting, and tries to move quickly enough to minimize clashes with election calendars—but without letting politics determine legal action.
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Pascal Prache argues that the Parquet national financier (PNF) is not a political instrument but a legal one: its role is to apply the law, verify allegations, and decide whether a case should be dismissed or pursued. He repeatedly rejects the idea that the office “makes or breaks” politicians, and says the PNF is staffed by magistrates who operate under sworn duties, with impartiality and equality before the law as core principles. He also stresses that the PNF does not handle every politically connected case—some fall under the Paris prosecutor’s office rather than the PNF. The interview is framed around a cluster of recent or ongoing cases involving well-known political figures. …
Near term, the actionable issue is headline risk around politically sensitive French investigations, especially if procedural steps land close to the election cycle.
Over the next few months, the likely path is continued legal verification and staggered procedural updates; the main question is whether these cases generate charges or are narrowed/dropped without major political disruption.
The structural takeaway is that anti-corruption prosecution has become a central legitimacy mechanism in French politics, and the main regime risk is the perception that law enforcement timing can shape democratic trust.
The PNF’s role is to apply the law and verify facts, not to decide politics.
Prache repeatedly rejects the idea that the office makes or breaks politicians and says its job is legal application and verification.
The PNF does not handle all politically-financial cases; some belong to the Paris prosecutor’s office.
He distinguishes PNF jurisdiction from other prosecutors when answering criticism about political cases.
In election periods, the PNF must guard against possible instrumentalization of judicial authority.
He explicitly says pre-election periods can bring attempts to instrumentalize justice and that the office must remain vigilant.
Dans l'affaire Édouard Philippe, de quoi s'agit-il exactement et pourquoi dites-vous que l'ouverture d'une information judiciaire était 'automatique' ?
Prache explique qu'une plainte avec constitution de partie civile a été déposée par la victime après une enquête préliminaire du PNF, ce qui a rendu l'ouverture d'une information judiciaire automatique par la loi. Le PNF n'avait pas le choix. Il précise qu'Édouard Philippe n'est pas la seule personne visée et que désormais le juge d'instruction dirige l'enquête. Les faits concernent notamment l'attribution de subventions avec des questions sur les règles de la commande publique, impliquant une ancienne adjointe.
L'enquête sur l'affaire Epstein (blanchiment de fraude fiscale aggravée, société offshore aux Îles Vierges), est-ce qu'elle avance ?
Prache confirme que l'enquête avance, de même que d'autres en lien avec les Epstein Files, avec de l'entraide pénale internationale notamment avec les Norvégiens. Ce sont des procédures qui nécessitent des vérifications très significatives sur la base d'investigations journalistiques.
Est-ce que la coopération judiciaire internationale fonctionne bien, notamment avec l'Algérie ?
Prache confirme que quasiment un dossier sur trois du PNF nécessite de l'entraide pénale internationale. Il indique avoir récemment échangé avec les autorités judiciaires algériennes qui souhaitent récupérer des biens qu'elles considèrent comme financés par de la corruption en Algérie.
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