In 2011, the output of Panama tax haven was done in haste – Le Figaro

THE SCAN POLICY – A month after the visit of President of Panama in Paris, the French Parliament was summoned to vote favorably convention in Panama

This is a convention ratified by France which is bad form in full case of” Panama papers. ” Discussed in late 2011 by Parliament, officially recorded in 2012, the agreement allowed the small Central American country out of the French blacklist of tax havens. Today, that decision is challenged by Finance Minister Michel Sapin who wishes to put Panama on the list.

When reading the reports of parliamentary discussions of the time, if there is an impression that stands out is the speed with which the parliamentary review took place. Nicolas Sarkozy, then head of state, received one that was his Panamanian counterpart, Ricardo Martinelli, November 17, 2011, and again the next day. The first head of state of Central America to be received by President of the Republic since the beginning of its mandate. In meeting, the PS François Loncle MP is surprised: “On November 4 (at the G20, ed), the president beckons and criticizes, in terms that we ourselves have virtually no employees, Panama as a tax haven. On November 24, twenty days later, the Foreign Minister of the Budget (Valérie Pécresse, ie) shall provide a layer accentuating criticism of President of the Republic. But she knew that in the meantime he had received at the Elysee Ricardo Martinelli, and, after long conversations, there was an agreement that we made quite widely reported. “

before MPs, the Secretary of State for French nationals abroad, Edouard Courtial, prefers boast “a major advance in the fight against harmful tax practices, which allow an exchange of effective tax information and unrestricted “. Promising: “The Panamanian government committed in this direction and has largely reformed its domestic legislation to allow the agreement to be followed up.” “France has everything to gain from the ratification of this agreement by the end of the year,” enthused Edouard Courtial still celebrating “anti-abuse provisions throughout the text.”

Overall, the majority of UMP parliamentarians supported the ratification of such an agreement, passed by the national Assembly. Just like Jacques Myard who was surprised “the expressed reluctance (…) because this agreement represents progress and (it) is to be welcomed.” However, the centrist MP Herve de Charette noted that “consideration of this agreement” had been “accelerated procedure”. “I observe that it is rare that the time between the signing (for the heads of state) and review by our committee in months. It usually account rather in years! “He told his colleagues. “I agree with what Hervé de Charette and I am amazed by the acceleration taking this issue”, while confirming an elected socialist.

“Why this insistence of government to submit this ratification?

So why such urgency? The French black list of tax havens is updated every year on 1 January. So it was to ratify the agreement before the end of five years. The Socialists were against it. In the Senate, where they were the majority, he even dismissed. Even the UMP president of the Finance Committee of the Luxembourg Palace seemed perplexed: “Why this insistence of government to submit this ratification? Are there a Panamanian investment underway in a depressed area of ​​our beautiful country, “asked Philippe Marini, as noted by Public Sénat.fr. Nicole Bricq, General Budget rapporteur replied: “No, but if I swear pressures that I received, but not suffered … It was issue (in the interview Sarkozy-Martinelli) the presence of French companies in major tenders which have been launched in Panama. ” GDF-Suez, Degrémont or Alstom are cited. “In reality, this agreement was bought Bouygues and Alstom,” the indignant communist deputy Jean-Pierre Brard full House. A government source confirmed the time to scan the Panamanian government used commercial contracts to put pressure on France. The famous statement of 24 November Valérie Pécresse, very critical against Panama would have provoked “a small diplomatic crisis.”

The stakes were high for Panama. By signing this agreement with France, the country was able to leave the list of tax havens established by the OECD since 2009. To get out, you had to establish at least 12 tax treaties with countries of the OECD. France was the twelfth country.

Another elected Jean-Pierre Dufau (PS), preferred, he, wonder of a “disturbing coincidence.” “On December 11, the dictator (Panamanian) Noriega was extradited to France, where he was held since 2009 and where he was serving a sentence of seven years – so he should have stayed in prison until 2016 – to Panama . He was sentenced for money laundering “if he astonishes without the trail of an agreement covering this issue be raised by other elected officials.

In April 2012, Valérie Pécresse is auditioned during a Senate investigative committee on tax evasion. “It is the tax authorities that talk and then they are the heads of state who decide whether or not to sign an agreement (…) These are concluded and we are entering a period of careful application,” explained one that was budget minister. Vigilance observed by Michel Sapin, the current Socialist budget minister. On 21 December, he addressed the opportunity to furnish the Panama on the list of States and non-cooperative jurisdictions. A decision upheld on Tuesday after the revelations about the “Panama papers.”