Jean-Pierre Raffarin was involved in a car accident on Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris, Mediapart revealed on Thursday, June 25, 2026. A motorcyclist was seriously injured, and the former Prime Minister’s use of an official car has sparked controversy. On Friday, June 26, the politician publicly responded on X.
The incident was revealed by Mediapart on Thursday, June 25, 2026. That day, the investigative news outlet reported an accident on Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris involving an official car equipped with a flashing blue light and carrying Jean-Pierre Raffarin. The vehicle, provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a driver, reportedly ran a red light before hitting a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist, seriously injured, was hospitalized. Since January 1, 2026, former heads of government who have left office for more than ten years are no longer permitted to have a chauffeured vehicle. Jean-Pierre Raffarin left Matignon in 2005. The question of his right to use this chauffeured car was thus raised. Furthermore, the former head of government reportedly left the scene without speaking to the victim, according to initial reports from our colleagues.
The former Prime Minister insists he followed the rules.
Regarding his official car, the former Prime Minister defended himself. He maintains that he returned it on January 1, 2026, in accordance with regulations concerning benefits associated with his status as a former head of government. However, he clarifies that he was entrusted with a “temporary and unpaid official mission” on Sino-French relations on January 26 by Emmanuel Macron. This entitles him to a car with a driver from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He says he participated in more than thirty meetings in France and abroad in this capacity and asserts that he does not benefit from “any other special resources.”
