French ministers to release all personal asset information

The personal assets of French ministers – including houses, cars, furniture, jewellery and artworks – are to be made public for the first time this afternoon as part of Francois Hollande's bid to shake off a tax fraud scandal.

Jerome Cahuzac leaving the Elysee presidential Palace after attending a meeting on investment strategy in Paris

In a country whose attitude to wealth is deeply ambivalent, the move has sparked a political row over whether it is a bold move towards greater transparency and accountability or a populist, counterproductive act of voyeurism.

The government hopes the measure will help turn the page on a hugely damaging scandal over tax fraud charges meted against former-budget minister Jerome Cahuzac, the man tasked with fighting tax evasion, after he admitted having a secret Swiss bank account.

With France engrossed in a guessing game over which of the 37 ministers on the list will end up top of the personal wealth table, some have already jumped the gun.

Disclosing family assets of 5.4 million euros this morning, the minister for the elderly, Michele Delaunay, conceded that her considerable wealth would be “difficult to understand for the majority of the French, who are facing hard times” – even if the was all above board.

While she said the disclosure was an “ordeal”, she said she supported the idea.

SOURCE : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/francois-hollande/9994819/French-ministers-to-release-all-personal-asset-information.html