Dati corruption trial opens in Paris over Renault-Nissan payments

The corruption trial of former French minister Rachida Dati opened at the Paris criminal court on September 16, 2026, centering on allegations she received €900,000 in payments from Renault-Nissan's Dutch subsidiary while serving as a Member of the European Parliament. Dati, who served as justice minister from 2007 to 2009 and culture minister from 2024 to 2025, faces charges of passive corruption, passive influence peddling, and concealment of abuse of power. Prosecutors allege that a legal services contract signed in October 2009 between Dati and Carlos Ghosn, then head of the Renault-Nissan alliance, was used to disguise lobbying work for the company in the European Parliament, an activity prohibited under her mandate. The contract provided for annual payments of €300,000 before tax, totaling €900,000 between 2009 and 2013. Investigators have cited three parliamentary questions submitted by Dati in 2012 and 2013 related to the automotive sector as potential evidence of influenced activity.