This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
On July 4, 2020, a French court announced it would open an inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus crisis by former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and two cabinet ministers.
The inquiry, led by the Law Court of the Republic (CJR), will examine whether Philippe, former Health Minister Agnes Buzyn, and her successor Olivier Veran neglected their duties in the face of the disaster.
The CJR has received 90 complaints and examined 53 of them, with nine complaints deemed admissible and forming the basis of the inquiry.
The investigation comes as France grapples with the aftermath of the pandemic, which has sparked anger against the government over a lack of protective equipment in the early stages.
France is not the only country where legal proceedings are possible against current and former ministers over the coronavirus pandemic, with Italy also facing similar investigations.
