The PS and Karachigate

Mediapart has another revelation: the Socialists knew about financial irregularities in the sale of submarines to Pakistan, and they knew that the kickbacks had been used to finance the Balladur campaign. But they chose to sit on that knowledge rather than blow up the political system by transmitting the information to an investigating magistrate. It will be interesting to hear their reasons. To be sure, they were cohabiting at the time with Jacques Chirac, Balladur had used the money to try to defeat Chirac, and Jospin no doubt thought it might ease his relations with the president to transmit this bombshell information to him and let him decide how to use it. Assuming he didn't already know. Fascinating story.