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Environment minister resigns amid spending allegations

Image: bruno perroud [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

François de Rugy has resigned as France’s environment minister following allegations, which he strongly denies, that he misspent large sums of public money on luxury private dinners and renovations to his flat.

De Rugy resigned on 16 July and was replaced by transport minister Élisabeth Borne, who previously reported to him. She will continue to be responsible for transport in addition to her duties as environment minister.

De Rugy stepped down following accusations that he hosted lavish dinners for his social circle between October 2017 and June 2018, when he was speaker of the National Assembly. According to a report on the news website Mediapart on 10 July, the dinners featured expensive shellfish, champagne and vintage wines from the French parliament wine cellar worth up to €500 (£447) each, all funded by the public purse.

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