"Mr. Gozi was invited yesterday (Monday) by the Prime Minister's Office Director to produce explanations on the facts alleged by several media outlets," Matignon said the day after information published by Le Monde and the Maltese daily Times of Malta , according to which Sandro Gozi, adviser to Édouard Philippe, would also work for the Maltese Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat.
Former Italian Secretary of State for European Affairs, then LREM candidate for Europeans - elected in 22nd position, he will sit only after the Brexit -, Sandro Gozi became at the end of July in charge of mission to Edouard Philippe, in charge of following the setting up the new European institutions and relations with the European Parliament.
"Who is your adviser really working for?"
Édouard Philippe also argued Tuesday afternoon, during questions to the government in the National Assembly, that "all those who have the honor of serving France by working in a cabinet must be, when they are the object of a political attack, defended by the head of the government ". But, he added, "the head of government demands of them a perfect probity and the respect of all the rules which are imposed on all those who have the honor to serve France".
The Prime Minister was answering a question asked by a LR MP, Pierre-Henri Dumont, who asked "for whom does your adviser really work?" "For himself, for France, for Malta, for Italy?" Can you assure us that your adviser has never used any information he would have known about Matignon for the benefit of another government? ", again criticized the opposition MP.
Sandro Gozi says his job at Matignon is exclusive
Sandro Gozi "confirmed, as he did, in writing, at the time of his hiring, in July 2019, that his cabinet job at Matignon was exclusive of any other professional activity, let alone for another government", assured Matignon.
"The Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister took note and invited him to produce as soon as possible the documents attesting the end of his collaboration with the Maltese government at the time of his hiring to close the controversy", adds Matignon.
Sandro Gozi was also asked to "quickly justify the fulfillment of his declaratory obligations to the High Authority for the transparency of public life, obligations on which the Prime Minister is particularly vigilant". LR MEP François-Xavier Bellamy, for his part, called for "the elements mentioned by the Prime Minister to be communicated".