French financial investigators raided the Élysée Palace on Tuesday, April 14th as part of an ongoing probe into the awarding of public contracts linked to state ceremonies.
According to an AFP source with knowledge of the case, the investigation focuses on the reported repeated selection of the same events company to organise prestigious national memorial ceremonies. Shortcut Events took on this role for more than two decades, until 2024. These events include inductions into the Panthéon, the mausoleum honouring some of France’s most notable historical figures.
French newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné, which first reported the raid, claims that investigators are examining why the company was consistently awarded contracts—enabling it to organise ceremonies billable for around €2 million each.
The source said the investigation is being led by police financial and anti-corruption units. Authorities are reportedly seeking to determine whether proper procurement procedures were followed in the awarding of contracts.
The most recent ceremony organised by the company was the 2024 commemoration of Missak Manouchian, a stateless Armenian poet and Resistance fighter. In 2021, the company also organised the induction of Josephine Baker, the American-born dancer and civil rights activist, as the first black woman to enter the Panthéon.
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