France and the US lack 'political will' to fight corruption says former judge Eva Joly
A former investigating judge specializing in financial crime, Eva Joly also stood as the green candidate in the 2012 presidential election in France. Here she tells Mediapart of her concern at the attacks on judges after the recent conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy for conspiracy over the Libyan funding affair, and highlights the lack of effort by the media to help people understand the issues involved in that case. The ex-judge also expresses her dismay over the apathy of the French Left – and the Democrats in the United States - when it comes to issues of corruption and public probity.
SheShe was an investigating judge in France with a high-profile role in the fight against corruption, an adviser to the government in her native Norway on the same issue, the green candidate in France's 2012 presidential election, and also a Member of the European Parliament. Now working as a lawyer, Eva Joly keeps a watchful eye on the issue of probity in public life. In an interview with Mediapart she reveals how the row following the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy over the Libyan funding affair - a furore which has led to death threats against the presiding trial judge - has left her pessimistic about the political and media mood in the country.
