Addressing for the first time accusations that he bent the rules for the US transport company Uber when he was economy minister, French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday acknowledged that he held discussions with company executives, and he would do it again.
"We are creating a sort of atmosphere in which seeing the heads of companies, in particular foreign ones, is a bad thing. But I acknowledge it completely," Macron told reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of an event in southwest France.
"We must fight with all means against mass unemployment,” Macron said, adding he was proud of being “an economy minister who fought to attract companies”.
“I fully acknowledge having seen foreign company executives. I’m proud of it. If they created jobs in France, I am proud of it and I would do it again tomorrow and after tomorrow.”
The President has been criticised by opposition lawmakers after it was revealed in the press that he had repeated discussions with the controversial company to help it navigate restrictive regulations in France.
As economy minister from 2014 to 2016, Macron defended Uber for providing employment and breaking the monopoly held by taxi companies, which organised sometimes violent protests against the company.
Le Monde said Macron, a former investment banker, had been "more than a supporter, almost a partner" to the company, offering to help with lobbying efforts to shape legislation.
"I've seen the heads of companies. What a shock!," Macron said Tuesday. "I saw them, it was always official, with my aides, and I'm proud. If they created jobs in France, then I'm super proud of that."
The newspapers said some of the meetings with Uber executives were not recorded in Macron's official diary and took place without the knowledge of other members of then Socialist government.
The information comes from a leak of tens of thousands of documents, called the 'Uber Files', provided to Britain's Guardian newspaper by a whisteblower who identified himself on Tuesday as Mark MacGann, a lobbyist who led Uber’s efforts to win over governments outside the US.
Analysis of the documents has been coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, working with 42 media partners around the world on the story including Le Monde.
(with wires)
