Former French Ministry of Culture HR Director Accused โขof Enabling Drug Use in Jobโ Interviews
Paris, France – โGisรจle Pelicot, the former Director of Human Resources at France’s Ministry of Culture, is at the center of a scandal alleging sheโ knowingly allowed-and potentially encouraged-the use of drugs by candidates during job interviews. The accusations, surfacing December 1, 2025, stem from an examination into workplace practices during her tenure, raisingโข serious questions about ethical conduct andโฃ fairness in French public sector recruitment.
The allegations detailโ a pattern of candidates being offered drugs, reportedly including cocaine, before interviewsโฃ conducted by Pelicot and her team. sources claim this โคpractice was intended to assess candidates’ reactions and resilience โunder pressure, a controversial โขmethod that has sparked outrage among politicians and labor groups. The Ministry of โCulture has launched an internal investigation,and authorities are consideringโ a formal criminal inquiry. This โขcase highlights a broader โdebate about โคpower dynamics, professional boundaries, โคand the potential for โabuse withinโ institutions.
Pelicot served as Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of โคculture from 2019 until her departure in 2024. During her leadership, the Ministry oversaw personnelโ matters for a vast network of โฃcultural institutions across France, includingโ museums, theaters, โand libraries. The current investigation focuses on โrecruitment processes for positions within theโ ministry itself,specifically allegations concerning interviews for roles in โcommunications and cultural diplomacy.
According โคto reports,the alleged drug use was not limited toโข a single instance but occurred repeatedly over โseveral years. Investigators are interviewingโ former candidates and Ministry employees โฃto gather evidence and determine the extent of Pelicot’s involvement and knowledge. The practice, if confirmed, would represent a severe breach ofโข professionalโข ethics and potentially โขviolate French โlabor laws.
The French Ministry of Culture has stated it โฃis cooperatingโฃ fully with the investigation and is committed to ensuring a fair and ethical recruitment process. The Ministry has not yet commentedโข specifically on the allegations โagainst Pelicot, citing the โongoing nature of the inquiry. The โฃscandal comes at a sensitive time for the Ministry,โค wichโค is already facing scrutiny over diversity and inclusion initiatives.
