Tax fraud inquiry into consultancy firms launched as French election looms

Prosecutors open inquiry after McKinsey affair' row over public spending on consultants

French financial prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected tax fraud by global management consultancy firms, just as Emmanuel Macron's re-election campaign has been hit by a row over the government's use of private advisers.

An investigation by the French Senate recently concluded that French public spending on consultants had more than doubled between 2018 to 2021, and reached a record level of $1bn last year.