Brussels (AFP)

Candidate of President Macron to the European Commission, Sylvie Goulard will have to pass a delicate test in front of the European Parliament, which should question him on the case of the alleged mock jobs of assistants of MEPs MoDem and his activity for an American think tank.

"A retoquage by Parliament, yes, it would not be pleasant," admits a member of the government. But "the question is: is legality respected? Yes," he replies.

Sylvie Goulard "is straight in her boots and has nothing to hide," says one in the entourage of the former centrist MEP (2009-2017). "It takes very seriously the validation of the European Parliament, expected by the end of October.

"She would not have accepted her appointment if she thought there was a problem," insists this source.

The first case, the fictitious jobs, had forced Ms. Goulard, 54, to leave his post as Minister of the Armed Forces just one month after his appointment in 2017, along with the centrists Francois Bayrou and Marielle de Sarnez. This withdrawal should allow him to "freely demonstrate" his "good faith" during the investigation.

The announcement Wednesday of her appointment, to join the Commission of the German Ursula von der Leyen from 1 November, has surprised more than one, starting with the Green MEP Yannick Jadot, who regrets with the AFP a policy of "double standards, two measures".

- Generous remuneration -

"She considered herself that she could no longer be a minister" but can instead "be European Commissioner," he questions, while acknowledging in Ms. Goulard a "pro-European convinced and a big boss".

The entourage of Ms. Goulard replies that the investigation, for which a judicial inquiry was opened in Paris, did not "aggravate" the suspicions concerning her and that she was not even "heard".

"For Sylvie, everything was in line with the rules," insists this source. As for his resignation, it was due "to the risk of an indictment" which would have resulted in a sudden departure of the government.

It now seems, according to a source close to the case, that Ms. Goulard is not the most involved among the six parliamentarians involved in the case.

The candidate, whose appointment gave rise to "multiple exchanges" between Mr. Macron and Ms. von der Leyen, could however be put in difficulty by another case. Generously paid work for an American think tank even though she was a MEP.

In her "declaration of interest" - that each MEP must submit to the European Parliament - Mrs Goulard has indeed informed between 2013 and 2016 a role of "special adviser" at the "Berggruen Institute for governance" for "more than 10,000 euros gross per month "- an amount higher than his parliamentary allowance of about 8,700 euros gross.

- "Gravissime" -

It is a case "very serious", estimates a source close to the majority, which considers this appointment "extremely risky".

"She has still received a high remuneration from an American think tank for a job that is expected to know the reality", is surprised for its part Yannick Jadot, when the former MEP Guillaume Balas wonders how a European parliamentarian " may have time to do something else. "

"When the compensation is greater than the compensation, you work for whom?", He wonders.

The think tank in question, created in 2010 by American and German billionaire Nicolas Berggruen, is a non-profit organization whose goal is to think about "how to reshape political and social institutions".

A search on the website reveals that Sylvie Goulard participated in two meetings - in Paris in 2013 and Madrid in 2014-- as well as in a meeting at the end of 2014 in Brussels that resulted in the drafting of a "paper of reflection".

"During the duration of her contract, Sylvie participated in the organization of conferences in Paris and Madrid, a round table in Brussels and several other meetings, in addition to preparing information documents", confirms the institute Berggruen, contacted by AFP.

"Everyone has to judge the situation, but for her, it was in accordance with the rule and public," responds the entourage of the interested.

"This is a private contract with a private, legal and declared," adds this source.

zap-PAB-leb-bl / IMF / rock

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