Court of the ‘absurd’: why French politicians have little to fear from coronavirus probe

Headlines were made when police raided the homes of senior French politicians as part of an investigation into their handling of the pandemic, but, as Rory Mulholland reports from Paris, ministers should have few concerns about the course of justice

Health minister Olivier Veran (AFP)

Police raids on the homes and offices of France’s health minister, its public health director and its former prime minister this week were a spectacular move that made headlines across the globe.

They are accused of being criminally negligent for failing to do enough to save lives as the Covid-19 crisis unfolded, so the virus-weary world watched to see if any government heads would roll.

But the watch is likely to be a long one, and in the end nobody will be sent to jail and no-one will even be convicted of any wrongdoing, commentators say.