Jean Castex

Jean Castex was taken into police custody in February 2025 in an investigation into suspected embezzlement of public funds, forgery and use of forged documents linked to contracts signed when he chaired the Conflent Canigo intermunicipal authority. He was released following questioning.

State of the evidence

Documented

Jean Castex's appointment as SNCF chairman after three years at RATP prompted renewed questions about conflicts of interest, contractual relationships between public transport operators and executives moving between institutions.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following Éric Dupond-Moretti's appointment as Justice Minister, several cases involved judges with whom the former lawyer had clashed. Jean Castex did not sign a decree formally arranging the minister's recusal until October 2020, approximately three and a half months after his appointment. He subsequently testified before the Court of Justice of the Republic.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The Castex government implemented the health pass and subsequently defended its conversion into a vaccination pass, making access to numerous venues and activities conditional on vaccination or specified evidence. The measures prompted demonstrations, litigation and intense debate over civil liberties.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Jean Castex used a government Falcon aircraft to fly from Paris to Perpignan to vote in Prades in the first round of the 2022 presidential election, causing controversy over the financial and environmental cost of the journey.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

A few months after leaving Matignon, Jean Castex was proposed and then appointed chairman and chief executive of RATP. The appointment prompted criticism over placing a former Prime Minister in a major public company and potential conflicts of interest arising from his previous duties.

State of the evidence

Documented

The launch of Covid-19 vaccination in France was fiercely criticised for being slow and for several weeks of uncertainty over strategy, priorities and logistics. The Castex government subsequently accelerated the rollout.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Following Emmanuel Macron's announcement of new national restrictions, school closures and extension of lockdown measures, Jean Castex appeared before the National Assembly to explain the details. Opposition parties condemned parliamentary consultation occurring after the presidential announcement.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Jean Castex's health pass QR code was reconstructed and circulated after he displayed a document clearly enough to be photographed. The incident enabled fraudulent passes to be created and highlighted the weakness of physical protection for such codes.

State of the evidence

Documented

During the second lockdown, the Castex government closed shops deemed non-essential and then also banned sales of non-essential products in supermarkets. Numerous mayors issued orders allowing local shops to reopen, creating a confrontation with the state.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility