French opposition denounces Uber-Emmanuel Macron 'secret deal'
Opposition deputies on Sunday denounced reports of a secret deal between French President Emmanuel Macron -- when he was a minister under a socialist government -- and online transport giant Uber.
The allegations come in the latest data-based investigation by leading international news outlets based on leaked files, announced on social media as #UberFiles.
The report in France's Le Monde daily, citing documents, text messages and witnesses, alleges that Uber came to a secret "deal" with Macron when he was economy minister between 2014 and 2016.
Le Monde's report highlights what it says was help from Macron's ministry intended to help Uber consolidate its position in France, such as suggesting that the company present "ready-made" amendments to deputies to help their case.
Opposition deputies have denounced what they say appears to have been close collaboration between Macron and Uber at a time when the company was trying to get around tight government regulation of their sector.
Contacted by AFP, Uber France confirmed that the two sides had been in contact. The meetings with Macron had been in the normal course of his ministerial duties, which covered the private-hire sector.
The president's office told AFP that at that time Macron had, as economy minister, "naturally" been in contact with "many companies involved in the profound change in services that has occurred over the years mentioned, which should be facilitated by unravelling certain administrative or regulatory locks".
But Mathilde Panot, parliamentary leader of the hard-left opposition France Unbowed party, denounced on Twitter what she described as the "pillage of the country" during Macron's time as minister under president Francois Hollande.
She described Macron as
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