法国调查人员周四就涉嫌挪用公共资金一案，对前总理、明年总统大选候选人爱德华·菲利普进行了询问。他的律师对这一举措表示欢迎，并指出法官选择不对这位前总理进行正式司法调查。
French investigators on Thursday questioned former prime minister Édouard Philippe, a candidate in next year's presidential election, in a case of alleged embezzlement of public funds. His lawyer welcomed the move, noting that magistrates had chosen not to place the ex-PM under formal investigation.
爱德华·菲利普目前在民调中大幅落后于极右翼和强硬左翼候选人。© 塞巴斯蒂安·萨洛姆-戈米斯，法新社档案照片 据接近该案的消息人士向法新社透露，法国调查人员周四就涉嫌挪用公共资金一案，对总统候选人、前总理爱德华·菲利普进行了询问。
Édouard Philippe is currently trailing far-right and hard-left candidates in the polls. © Sébastien Salom-Gomis, AFP file photo French investigators on Thursday questioned presidential candidate Édouard Philippe a former prime minister, in a case of alleged embezzlement sources close to the case told AFP.
两名负责处理涉嫌挪用公共资金、偏袒和骚扰指控的调查法官，将菲利普指定为“协助证人”，这一身份比被置于正式司法调查之下要轻。该案与菲利普担任北部港口城市勒阿弗尔市长的职务有关。法国右翼在大选中有击败极右翼的机会吗？
Two investigating magistrates handling allegations of misuse of public funds, favouritism and harassment designated Philippe an "assisted witness" in the affair – a less serious status than being placed under formal investigation. The case is linked to Philippe's position as mayor of the northern port city of Le Havre. Does the French right have a chance of defeating the far right in the election?
对于“协助证人”这一身份，他的律师埃马纽埃尔·马尔西尼向法新社表示：“爱德华·菲利普欢迎这一有利决定，这证实了他在此事上没有做错任何事。” 提起投诉从而引发调查的前公职人员的律师热罗姆·卡尔桑蒂周四向法新社表示，他们欢迎调查取得进展。
Asked about the status of assisted witness, his lawyer, Emmanuel Marsigny, told AFP: "Édouard Philippe welcomes this favourable decision, which confirms that he has done nothing wrong in this matter." Jerome Karsenti, lawyer for the former civil servant who filed the complaint that led to the investigation, told AFP Thursday they welcomed the fact that the investigation was advancing.
对于法官决定不对菲利普进行正式司法调查，卡尔桑蒂表示，他们将“尽快审查与他的交流，以便在我们视为严重的事实面前，理解法官的推理逻辑”。
On the magistrates' decision not to place Philippe under formal investigation, Karsenti said they would review their exchanges with him "as soon as possible in order to understand the judges' reasoning in light of facts that we regard as serious".
2017年至2020年担任总理的菲利普否认了针对他的所有指控。
Philippe, who was prime minister from 2017 to 2020, has rejected all the accusations against him.
涉嫌利益冲突 该案源于一名公职人员的投诉，法国权利捍卫人去年授予了该人举报人身份。
Alleged conflict of interest The case arose out of a complaint lodged by a civil servant, and France's ombudswoman last year gave her the whistleblower status.
这名前公务员表示，她2020年至2023年的合同未获续签，并且在提出指控后遭到了欺凌。
The former civil servant says her contract for 2020 to 2023 was not renewed and she was bullied after she made the allegations.
一个名为“LH French Tech”的协会在2020年7月获得了运营该数字中心的合同，此前它是招标中唯一的竞标者。
An association called LH French Tech was awarded the contract to run the digital hub in July 2020 after being the sole contender in a call for bids.
根据一项协议，这个于同月成立、由副市长担任会长的协会将在数年内获得超过200万欧元（230万美元），用于运营这个旨在鼓励数字创新的场所。
Under a deal, the association – created that same month, and presided by the deputy mayor – was to receive more than €2 million ($2.3 million) for several years to run the space supposed to encourage digital innovation.
这名前公务员指控存在利益冲突，因为该协议让市长及其副市长得以“控制相当数额”的资金。
The ex-civil servant alleged there was a conflict of interest as the deal allowed the mayor and his deputy "control over considerable sums" of money.
法国国家金融检察官办公室今年5月告诉法新社，他们已展开调查。
The national financial prosecutor's office told AFP in May they had opened the investigation.
法新社看到的投诉书称，调查法官将需要评估市长与其副市长之间是否达成了某种约定，涉及“以管理”数字中心“换取政治、财政和关系上的支持”。
The complaint, seen by AFP, stated that the investigating magistrate would have to assess whether a pact had been concluded between the mayor and his deputy involving "political, financial and relational support in return for managing" the digital hub.
菲利普是中间偏右的“地平线”党明年总统选举的候选人。他目前在民调中落后于极右翼和极左翼的对手。
Philippe is a candidate in next year's presidential election for the centre-right Horizons party. He currently trails far-right and far-left rivals in opinion polls.