Macron’s right-hand man, Alexis Kohler, is in hot water after repeatedly snubbing a parliamentary inquiry into France’s ballooning national debt. The Finance Committee, investigating where the money has vanished, isn’t letting him off the hook.
Committee chairman Éric Coquerel finally lost patience on March 4, announcing legal action after Kohler flat-out refused to testify. “I gave him one last chance, and he turned it down,” Coquerel said, vowing to take the case to the public prosecutor.
Kohler, Macron’s secretary general since 2017, insists he isn’t obligated to appear, citing government authority over fiscal policy and scheduling conflicts. But Coquerel isn’t buying it. “These people think they don’t answer to Parliament,” he fired back. “Kohler is not the President.”
Under French law, dodging a parliamentary summons carries serious consequences—up to two years in prison, a €7,500 fine, and a ban from public office. What makes his defiance even more baffling? Kohler has already testified before Parliament twice before.
His past isn’t spotless either. In 2022, he was indicted over shady ties to the MSC transport group, allegedly using state resources to benefit the company through hidden family connections.
Meanwhile, France’s financial troubles keep piling up. In 2024, officials warned of a record-breaking budget deficit, far exceeding targets. Opposition parties smell mismanagement, and with Kohler refusing to talk, speculation is running wild.
