French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who is facing trial for corruption, on Tuesday denounced a "procedure marred by incidents" and called into question certain magistrates who, according to her, are "trampling on" the rights of the defence.
"I condemn magistrates who refuse to do their job according to the code of procedure," she said on LCI, adding that she would "give up nothing," neither her position as minister nor her ambitions for the post of Mayor of Paris.
The minister received the full support of Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who said he "fervently hoped she would become Mayor of Paris" in 2026.
"There is a problem with the justice system," the former Minister of Justice said, speaking publicly for the first time on the matter. "I will not give up. They are trying to bring me to my knees, but I will not give in."
"I ask for action, they refuse me; I ask for confrontations, they refuse me. The entire procedure has been marred by incidents," a combative Ms Dati added, backed up by documents.
"Some people are exploiting this case in a somewhat shameful way," she lamented, as her political opponents called for her resignation.
"I have not been convicted; there is a principle of presumption of innocence," she argued.
She also dismissed the idea that she might go to prison for this case. "It doesn't even cross my mind," she said.
