French prime minister Valls in football corruption scandal

This video from France says about itself:

Duflot slams Valls over Roma comments – French Press

27 September 2013

In the French papers this morning – Housing Minister Cécile Duflot lashes out against Interior Minister Manuel Valls over his controversial comments on the Roma community.

From the BBC today:

French PM Valls scorned for Uefa jet trip to Berlin

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has come under fire for using a government Falcon jet to fly to the Uefa Champions League final in Berlin at the weekend.

His initial explanation was that he had to meet Uefa President Michel Platini, however it has since emerged that he took two sons on the flight.

About Michel Platini, from earlier on this blog:

Michael Platini, the Uefa president, did not want to stand against Sepp Blatter in the most recent election. He may now see this as the time to put himself forward.

The former France captain called Mr Blatter’s decision to step down a “brave decision”. However, when the corruption allegation emerged at Fifa’s congress last week he said he was “sick of it” and said that he had advised Mr Blatter to resign.

In 2010 Platini had a famous lunch with Nicolas Sarkozy (then president), the crown prince of Qatar Tamin bin Haman al-Thani, and a representative of an investment fund that then owned Paris St Germain football club – ten days before Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup.

Platini subsequently voted for the Qatari bid and the Qataris bought Paris Saint Germain, through an investment company called Qatari Sports Investments (QSI).

The BBC article continues:

Born in Barcelona, Mr Valls is a known supporter of the European champions, and his trip prompted a public outcry.

…

But the row surrounding Saturday’s round trip from Poitiers to Berlin threaten to overshadow major reforms aimed at softening labour laws for small and medium-sized businesses and adding tens of thousands of jobs to the labour market.

Under the “Small Business Act”, businesses with no employees would be granted €4,000 (£2,920; $4,500) for giving their first worker a year-long contract.

Unemployment in France is at 10% and Mr Valls also proposed that employers should be allowed to extend temporary contracts up to a maximum of 18 months.

Political satire magazine Le Canard Enchainé cited Fifa suggesting that no meeting with the Uefa president had even been arranged before the flight. …

But French media said further revelations in the affair were expected to come out in the next 24 hours, and one correspondent pointed out that Mr Valls himself said last September that anyone who had failed to reach the ethical standard expected of them should be dismissed.

According to NOS TV in the Netherlands, not only center right opposition politicians, but also members of the left wing of Valls’ own Socialist Party had already accused Valls earlier of wasting taxpayers’ money on luxurious private expenses.