The French Presidential Palace and Emmanuel Macron are at the center of a serious political and consumer scandal, after it was revealed that Nestlé Waters, the company that manages the iconic Perrier brand, allegedly violated legislation on natural mineral waters, with the tolerance or even collaboration of senior government officials.
As Politico reports, according to a report from the French Senate, Nestlé used banned methods, such as activated carbon filters and ultraviolet radiation, to treat natural mineral water — practices only allowed in tap water.
The company admitted the irregularities in 2024, saying it had now been in compliance with French law since 2023.
However, the report of the investigative committee led by socialist senator Alexandre Wiesel reveals something much more serious: that the Élysée Palace had been aware of Nestlé's illegal practice since 2022 and, in fact, had given its consent to changing the regulations to legalize new filtration methods below the 0.8 micron limit - a limit that was set to preserve the "purity" of mineral water.
The documents submitted by the Elysee Palace to the Senate include 74 pages of exchanges between presidential officials and Nestlé lobbyists.
At the same time, Macron's former chief of staff, Alexis Koller, refused to testify before the committee, citing the constitutional boundary between executive and legislative power.
Wiesel stated in a press conference that Kohler had repeated contacts with Nestlé lobbyists, claiming that “at least since 2022, the presidency knew that Nestlé had violated the law for years . ”
The report by Le Monde and Radio France states that the deterioration of water quality was occurring with the knowledge of the French authorities, under the pretext of " occasional bacterial and chemical contamination " due to "fecal contamination" .
Although President Macron claimed in February that he was “not aware ” of the matter and that there was no “collusion or complicity,” the report clearly attributes the decision to change the regulatory framework to the highest level of government.
Nestlé, for its part, condemned as "defamatory" many of the committee's statements, reiterated its "regret" for past illegal practices and claimed that its contacts with the government were made "with respect for institutional roles and ethical rules."
The Perrier scandal now threatens to further undermine Emmanuel Macron's credibility, at a time when his popularity is falling and his political influence is facing serious setbacks. (A2 Televizion)
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