Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: IAN LANGSDON / POOL / AFP 17:20 p.m., November 10, 2023

Heavily criticised by the right-wing opposition, the Ethics Commission of the City of Paris indicated that the trip of the mayor of Paris was "regular". She first made "a business trip financed by the Paris community, as well as a private trip paid for from her personal funds".

The Paris City Ethics Commission said on Friday that Mayor Anne Hidalgo's trip to the Pacific, mocked by the opposition, was "ethically regular". His long trip, first official and then private, was heavily criticized by the right-wing opposition, mocking the carbon footprint and the cost of the trip.

"In view of the information available to the Ethics Committee, it is considered that Anne Hidalgo made a professional trip to New Caledonia and Polynesia financed by the Paris community from the morning of 16 to 21 October 2023 as well as a private trip from the afternoon of 21 October to 5 November 2023 paid for with her personal funds, these trips are ethically regular," the Commission said, according to a statement from the city.

The mayor of Paris did not visit the site of the Olympic surfing event in person

The trip by Anne Hidalgo, accompanied by her deputies for Sports Pierre Rabadan and Overseas Jacques Martial, took place from October 16 to 22, according to the agenda sent on Monday, a posteriori, by the City, which had not until then officially communicated on this subject. According to the town hall, it was intended to evoke the Olympic Games, the surfing event of which is to be held at the Teahupoo site in Tahiti.

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But the mayor did not go in person to the site, being represented by Pierre Rabadan, the mayor's office acknowledged in the statement on Monday, explaining that this decision had been taken "at the request of Polynesian President" Moetai Brotherson, due to "local tensions".

"It is noted that part of the programme was not carried out by the mayor of Paris, but by Pierre Rabadan, in his capacity as deputy (...) in charge of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, from the afternoon of 21 October. Thus, the City of Paris did not finance the personal and private activity of the Mayor of Paris with public funds and did not suffer any damage," the Ethics Commission said.