French minister resigns after lobster dinner scandal

A senior French cabinet minister and close ally of President Emmanuel Macron resigned on Tuesday after reports accused him of extravagant state-funded lobster dinners and misusing public housing in a blow to the centrist government.

Francois de Rugy, who was named environment minister in September 2018, announced his departure after a week of revelations from the left-wing website Mediapart.

"The attacks and media lynching targeting my family force me to take the necessary step back," said de Rugy, who was number two in the government after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

Mediapart has published pictures of de Rugy and his journalist wife enjoying lavish champagne-and-lobster dinners and a Valentine's Day meal while he was speaker of parliament in 2017 and in 2018.

The website alleged the events -- at the expense of taxpayers -- were largely social, while de Rugy contends they were part of his work representing the National Assembly.

Mediapart also revealed that de Rugy had benefited from an apartment near his hometown of Nantes in western France that was rented at a preferential rate intended for low-income workers.

Other reports have referred to a 500-euro hairdryer bought by de Rugy's wife at public expense and a renovation of their government apartment at a cost of 63,000 euros (USD 70,000).

But the image of a row of plump lobsters on a platter at a function hosted by de Rugy caused the most political damage -- and many social media memes -- in a country still reeling from months of "yellow vest" protests.

The violent anti-government demonstrations have been fuelled by anger over economic inequality and claims that French leaders are out-of-touch with ordinary people.

De Rugy has denied any wrongdoing and even claimed in an interview last week that he was allergic to lobsters and didn't like champagne because it gave him a headache.

"He is someone who is solid, courageous," ruling party MP Olivia Gregoire told reporters after his resignation. "I think he was at the end of his tether."