Nine ministers submitted their declarations of interests and assets late after the reshuffle at the start of 2024, a “regrettable first”, denounced the president of the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP) Didier Migaud on Wednesday. After their appointment, ministers have two months to submit these declarations, which are then checked by the HATVP for online publication within a total of six months.
“Nine ministers” of the Attal government, appointed in two stages in January and February 2024, “were late in their submission of declarations. This is not satisfactory, it is a regrettable first”, underlined Didier Migaud, during of the presentation of the annual report of the High Authority in Paris. “This is the first time that I have been confronted with this type of situation,” he insisted, without revealing the names of the ministers concerned.
HAVTP spends “far too much time relaunching”
It is “very important that this is practically one of the first acts made by a member of the government. Only the Prime Minister (Gabriel Attal) complied with this recommendation from us in the few days following his appointment,” noted Didier Migaud. The HATVP should make public the first declarations of the ministers around “June 15 or 20”.
For all public officials subject to its control, the HATVP spends “far too much time reminding” people about their reporting obligations, in particular “members of ministerial cabinets”, “sports officials” or “some local elected officials “. In total, the HATVP controlled 3,536 declarations in 2023. Only 1.4% of public officials inspected were subject to a firm reminder of their obligations, and 17 files were sent to the courts for non-filing of declarations. .
Budget cut
The President of the High Authority also denounced an “undifferentiated and indiscriminate plan” in his 2024 budget, despite the regularly expanded missions of the HATVP. This represents a “12% reduction in our operating credits” excluding rent, or around 260,000 euros on an initial budget of 3.6 million euros, including 40% for office rental, said the former PS deputy.
According to him, there is “a question of principle”: “can a government recognize the right to reduce the appropriations of an independent authority after the vote of Parliament?” This can “surprise, even shock”. The HATVP is forced to “postpone” a project to computerize part of its activities, despite “still artisanal control tools”, he said.