Bonum Certa Men Certa

New EPO Rumours About Benoît Battistelli's Potential Role in the Bygmalion Affair

EPO: The French connection and a rumoured link to the Bygmalion affair

Sarkozy



Summary: Benoît Battistelli's strong links to Sarkozy and new reports about a corrupt network around Sarkozy lead some people to the suspicion that Battistelli too could (just could) be implicated

THE EPO is in a terrible state right now. This might soon leave the Office looking for new management. "Here is an update about the latest rumours at the EPO," one reader wrote to us, taking note of something which we were never quite aware of, even though we knew that Battistelli was close to Nicolas Sarkozy, who is widely vilified by now (and for good reasons).



"It seems that there is talk of a link to the "Bygmalion affair" in France," our reader told us. "The "Bygmalion affair" concerns the funding of Sarkozy's failed Presidential election campaign in 2012. The latest rumour is that Battistelli is also under investigation in France for having allegedly "redirected" EPO funds to help finance Sarkozy's election campaign."

“This might soon leave the Office looking for new management.”
      --Anonymous
If true, then he and Željko Topić might have another -- pardon the pun -- topic for discussion.

"So far this is only an unconfirmed rumour but the allegations seem plausible," our reader told us; nonetheless it is circulating in the Office right now. "Battistelli is a member of the same political party as Sarkozy and he even holds an elected political office in France as a town councilor in St. Germain-en-Laye," our reader added.

As a matter of fact, according to the ILOAT in Geneva such party political connections are not supposed to be allowed for international civil servants [PDF]: "...an international civil servant, though entitled to hold his own political views, must stand aloof from demonstrations of adherence to a political party. Integrity, loyalty to the international civil service, independence and impartiality are the standards required of an international civil servant and they require him to keep clear of involvement in national party politics."

“Battistelli is a member of the same political party as Sarkozy and he even holds an elected political office in France as a town councilor in St. Germain-en-Laye.”
      --Anonymous
We took note of this before, but if there is also a connection to the aforementioned scandal, then further debates are worth entertaining. "Another interesting coincidence worth mentioning," our reader said, "is that Battistelli persuaded the Administrative Council to abolish its independent Audit Committee in 2011. This meant that all the audit functions at the EPO were under the direct control of the President!"

"Honi soit qui mal y pense!

"It's incredible to think that the Administrative Council would have agreed to such a move but they did. They may now be about to discover the consequences of their monumentally stupid decision to abolish the Audit Committee!

"If there is any substance to the rumours about a connection to the "Bygmalion affair", it is very likely that the Ides of March are approaching for Battistelli and his crew."

We also received some rumours regarding Bergot's department, but we shall say more about that a little later today (as we meanwhile leave a window of time for further affirmation or refutation). Our reader "didn't hear anything about Bergot," s/he told us. "But at the moment everything is possible if the rumours about Battistelli's link to the "Bygmalion affair" are true.

“Sarkozy was President of France until 2012 so the picture that is starting to emerge is that Battistelli was "planted" into the EPO by Sarkozy in order to siphon off funds for party political purposes in France.”
      --Anonymous
"Some background information about Sarkozy and Bygmalion can be found here [in English] or here.

"The subscription article from mediapart.fr states that so far 32 people have been implicated in the "Bygmalion affair" so this is a major political scandal in France. If there does turn out to be a link to the EPO, then it will be political dynamite on a European level. Sarkozy was President of France until 2012 so the picture that is starting to emerge is that Battistelli was "planted" into the EPO by Sarkozy in order to siphon off funds for party political purposes in France.

"If Battistelli really did siphon off funds for Sarkozy, then the Administrative Council of the EPO is also seriously implicated in the affair because those geniuses were the ones who agreed to Battistelli's proposal to abolish the EPO's independent Audit Committee in 2011 as previously covered by Techrights.

“At the moment it's too early to predict where exactly this is going to lead but some serious "doo-doo" is likely to hit the fan pretty soon.”
      --Anonymous
"If an independent Audit Committee had still been in existence in 2011 and 2012 it's doubtful as to whether any kind of financial irregularity on the scale being suggested could have taken place.

"At the moment it's too early to predict where exactly this is going to lead but some serious "doo-doo" is likely to hit the fan pretty soon. And it won't be pleasant for Battistelli and his crew."

Recent Techrights' Posts

SUSE Blog is Still LLM Slop, Marketing Manager at SUSE Cannot Write
Would you buy from a company or seek support from a company that cannot even write (or fakes writing)?
Pretend You're Not Dead: Microsoft Spent Almost Two Decades Rebranding Things as "Cloud, Then "AI", Now "XBox" and "Quantum"
"AI" bubble pops, Microsoft harping about "quantum" already
IBM Allegedly Found New Tricks for Silent Layoffs: LPI, Then MIS (Not PIP)
Remember that "Red Hat layoffs" won't be reported after the bluewashing
Links 16/10/2025: Red Lines and Feeding of Microsoft Trolls
Links for the day
MIT as a Propaganda Mill of GAFAM, Paid by GAFAM
"the news" today
Links 16/10/2025: Lies Euphemised as ‘Dueling Versions of Reality’ and Microsoft "Open" "Hey Hi" Resorts to Porn as No Business Model Was Found
Links for the day
The Local Staff Committee Munich (Representation of the EPO's Staff) Explains When Cluster of Pregnancies May Result in Reduced Pay
"...even one week of part-time working is sufficient to reduce the salary you perceive during the entirety of your maternity leave."
Another Black Eye for 'Secure Boot', Microsoft Media Tries to Blame "Linux"
It enables Microsoft to remotely control computers, even computers that don't run Windows and never had any Microsoft software installed
Slopwatch: UbuntuPIT, linuxsecurity.com, and Various Slopfarms in Google News Attacking "Linux"
A new survey of the Web said that the majority of the Web is now slop (that's being said in the news this week)
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Links 16/10/2025: Increased Use of Social Control Media Surveillance in US, French Rage Over Pensions
Links for the day
Links 15/10/2025: Qantas Airways Loses Control of Sensitive Data and Software Patents Are Being Thrown Out
Links for the day
Vista 10 is 'Dead', Here's Why People Should Move to GNU/Linux (or the BSDs)
Today we try to make an outline of reasons move away from Windows to GNU/Linux
Our Sites Continue to Improve
LLM slop has had no noticeable impact on us
Gemini Links 15/10/2025: Neovim, Helix Compared and Gemlog.blue Now Closed
Links for the day
Links 15/10/2025: Mass Layoffs at Amazon, OneDrive Spyware Revved Up, More 'Gen Z Protests'
Links for the day
The EPO's Staff Engagement Survey 2025 is Already Tainted by Intimidation by EPO Management (Trying to Influence Outcomes by Scaring Genuine, Honest Critics)
"[W]e have received reports that, following the previous survey, teams with negative responses were reproached or questioned about their answers..."
The DDoS Attacks by Microsoft's Scam Altman and Other Slop Charlatans and Frauds is Hurting the FSF, Delinking It From Copyleft Projects
This impacts a lot more than access to the licences
Microsoft Scanning Faces in Photos People Upload to Microsoft (Even Unconsciously), Slashdot Turns Report About It Into "Microsoft Sez" (Says)
Or "let's repeat the lies from a PR person/Microsoft's publicist"
[Teaser] Angel Aledo Lopez the Manipulator (Nepotism, Poll Rigging, and Other EPO Corruption)
We'll discuss this later today or tomorrow, based on internal EPO material
Attacks on Techrights Are Only Making Techrights Bigger and Even More Popular
A week ago they offered to settle with us
Epic Metaphor for End of IBM: "The IBM Demolition is Down to the Last Shards!"
Nothing lasts forever
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Proprietary and DRM Prisons Spiralling Down the Sinkhole? Not Just Yet.
Let's hope that more people will flee to GNU/Linux
The European Patent Office (EPO), the Second-Largest Institution in Europe, is Cracking Down on Recreational Activities
Without AMICALE activities, and as staff already says it's pressured to work more for less, how can the EPO recruit bright people?
Transparency: FSFE financial reports exclude speaker fees and expenses
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Many Developers Have Many Political Views, They'll Never Agree on Everything
It's an effort to divide and destroy, not build
Gemini Links 14/10/2025: An Opportunity to Consider GNU/Linux and Another Simple IRC Client
Links for the day
Slopwatch: UbuntuPIT, LinuxSecurity, Google News, and the Serial Slopper Brian Fagioli
Nothing of merit here, just more slop
Links 14/10/2025: Lack of Trust in Slop and "Retirement Challenges"
Links for the day
EPO Staff Can Go Listen to Richard Stallman Next Week in Munich (Technical University of Munich, Rudolf-Diesel Hörsaal (MW2001) on Campus Garching at 18:00)
"The talk is open to the public and attendance is free. Registration is not required."
Rhonda D'Vine, Gerfried Fuchs, Pronouns & Debian pregnancy cluster
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
At IBM, Relocation Means Layoffs (Downsizing)
Silent or 'invisible' layoffs?
Central Staff Committee of the European Patent Office (EPO) Warns That EPO Management is Robbing or Manipulating Pension Funds Again
Faking "growth" is just about as bad as forgery
Probably a Lot Worse Than LLM Slop: GNOME Tying Itself to Divisive Politics, Even Where It's Clearly Not Relevant
Something has gone terribly wrong in GNOME
Links 14/10/2025: Microsoft OneDrive Scanning Faces in Photos (Without Asking First), "OpenAI Says It Will Move to Allow Smut"
Links for the day
They Generally Don't Like Scholars, as They're Less Compelled or Pressured to Repeat What Corporations and Oligarchs Say
People who loathe scholars have an agenda in mind that, unlike that of reasonable people, revolves around controlling people
Dystopian Trends in Technology Make Richard Stallman More Relevant Than Ever
It's good to see him attracting vast audiences
Belated New Article About Last Thursday's Lecture by Richard Stallman in Helsinki, Finland
there are good reasons to pay with cash, not limited to privacy
Attacking Richard Stallman Has Become 'Career Suicide'
If you're going to viciously attack somebody, make sure your arguments are rock-solid
Microsoft's Failing XBox Business Has Turned Games Into Funerals
How does it feel to depend on Microsoft?
Yesterday's "Distinguished Lecture" by Richard Stallman Possibly Attended by Close to 1,000 People
The capacity of the place is about 900
Slop Poisons Everything
Imagine wanting to find what Torvalds has just said or what has just been released
Taking Software Freedom 'Mainstream'
interest in Software Freedom must have grown
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, October 13, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, October 13, 2025
Gemini Links 14/10/2025: Ada Lovelace Day, Sony CLIE PEG-TG50 Review, Why to Avoid Network Solutions
Links for the day
Richard Stallman (RMS) Announced His Talk Less Than 24 Hours Before It Took Place and Still Filled Up the Auditorium at Sapienza Università di Roma
Photos from yesterday evening [...] It looks like it was a very successful event