As part of the "Uber Files", an investigation based on thousands of internal Uber documents sent by an anonymous source to the British daily The Guardian and sent to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and 42 media partners, Le Monde took an interest in the links between American society and Emmanuel Macron when he was Minister of the Economy (2014-2016).

Based on various testimonies and documents, including numerous SMS exchanges, Le Monde concludes that there is a secret "deal" between Uber and Emmanuel Macron in Bercy.

The daily reports meetings in the minister's office, numerous exchanges (appointments, calls or SMS) between the teams of Uber France and Emmanuel Macron or his advisers.

French President Emmanuel Macron in the courtyard of the Elysée Palace in Paris, July 5, 2022 Ludovic MARIN AFP

Certain practices intended to help Uber consolidate its positions in France are pointed out, such as suggesting that the company present "turnkey" amendments to deputies.

Asked by AFP, the company Uber France confirmed the holding of meetings with Emmanuel Macron: meetings which "were under his responsibilities as Minister of the Economy and Digital supervising the VTC sector".

The Elysee Palace told AFP that Mr. Macron, as Minister of the Economy, was "naturally led to exchange with many companies involved in the profound change in services that has occurred over the years mentioned, which should be facilitate by unraveling certain administrative or regulatory locks".

But the boss of the LFI deputies Mathilde Panot denounced on Twitter a "looting of the country", Emmanuel Macron having been both "advisor and minister of François Hollande and lobbyist for a US multinational aimed at permanently deregulating labor law".

The number one of the PCF Fabien Roussel relayed "damning revelations on the active role played by Emmanuel Macron, then minister, to facilitate the development of Uber in France", "against all our rules, all our social achievements and against the rights workers".

"Uber deserves a small commission of inquiry" parliamentary, according to the communist deputy Pierre Dharréville.

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© 2022 AFP