Urba affair
The Urba affair was an incident of political corruption in France pertaining to skimming receipts from public works for use for party campaigning during the 1970s and 1980s.
History
The Urba consultancy was established in 1971 by the Socialist Party to advise Socialist-led communes on infrastructure projects and public works, which the party advocated the modernisation of.
The affair became public in 1989 when two police officers, Antoine Gaudino and Alain Mayot, investigating the Marseille regional office of Urba discovered detailed minutes of the organisation's contracts and financial dealings between the party and elected officials. Although the minutes proved a direct link between Urba and graft activity, an edict from the office of French President François Mitterrand, himself listed as a recipient, prevented further investigation. The Mitterrand election campaign of 1988 was directed by Henri Nallet, who then became Justice Minister. In 1990 Mitterrand declared an amnesty for those under investigation, thus ending the affair.
Antoine Gaudino later wrote about his findings in a book, L'Enquête Impossible. Socialist Party treasurer Henri Emmanuelli was tried in 1997 for corruption offences, for which he received a two-year suspended sentence. The company itself was subsequently liquidated.
See also
- François Mitterrand
- Party subsidies
- Mani pulite (italian political scandal equivalent in period of time and by type)
- v
- t
- e
- Alain Savary (1969–1971)
- François Mitterrand (1971–1981)
- Lionel Jospin (1981–1988)
- Pierre Mauroy (1988–1992)
- Laurent Fabius (1992–1993)
- Michel Rocard (1993–1994)
- Henri Emmanuelli (1994–1995)
- Lionel Jospin (1995–1997)
- François Hollande (1997–2008)
- Martine Aubry (2008–2012)
- Harlem Désir (2012–2014)
- Jean-Christophe Cambadélis (2014–2017)
- Rachid Temal [fr] (ad interim)
- Olivier Faure (2018–present)
- Pierre Mauroy (1981–1984)
- Laurent Fabius (1984–1986)
- Michel Rocard (1988–1991)
- Édith Cresson (1991–1992)
- Pierre Bérégovoy (1992–1993)
- Lionel Jospin (1997–2002)
- Jean-Marc Ayrault (2012–2014)
- Manuel Valls (2014–2016)
- Bernard Cazeneuve (2016–2017)
- Alfortville Congress (May 1969)
- Issy-les-Moulineaux Congress (July 1969)
- Epinay Congress (1971)
- Grenoble Congress (1973)
- Pau Congress (1975)
- Nantes Congress (1977)
- Metz Congress (1979)
- Créteil Congress (January 1981)
- Valence Congress (October 1981)
- Bourg-en-Bresse Congress (1983)
- Toulouse Congress (1985)
- Lille Congress (1987)
- Rennes Congress (1990)
- Grande Arche Congress (1991)
- Bordeaux Congress (1992)
- Bourget Congress (1993)
- Liévin Congress (1994)
- Brest Congress (1997)
- Second Grenoble Congress (2000)
- Dijon Congress (2003)
- Le Mans Congress (2005)
- Reims Congress (2008)
- Second Toulouse Congress (2012)
- Poitiers Congress [fr] (2015)
- Aubervilliers Congress (2018)
- Villeurbanne Congress [fr] (2021)
- Marseille Congress [fr] (2023)
- National Assembly: Socialist group, associated
- Senate: Socialist and Republican
- Aubryists
- Desires for the Future
- New Socialist Party
- Royalists
- Socialist Left