On Wednesday, May 7, the National Assembly imposed its most severe sanction on two members of parliament: Andy Kerbrat (LFI) and Christine Engrand (formerly the National Assembly). The former used his parliamentary funds to buy drugs, while the latter used them to pay for personal expenses, including boarding her dogs, a dating site subscription, and funeral expenses.
The Assembly's bureau voted to temporarily exclude them from the chamber for two weeks, as well as to deprive them of half their parliamentary allowance for two months. Speaker Yaël Braun-Pivet justified the decision by citing the "recurrence and duration of the events," which were unrelated to their duties. Andy Kerbrat, who is on sick leave to treat an addiction, claims to have repaid the full amount between May and December 2023.
Christine Engrand, already expelled from the National Rally last March, sees her political position weakened. These two cases rekindle the debate on the transparency of elected officials' use of public funds.
