Marseille has all the
social, economic and political
ills of France writ large. In
addition, it has to contend with
its notoriety for protection
rackets and shoot-outs,
corruption, drug-money
laundering and prostitution. But
the city's dangerous reputation
is unfair - not because it's
unfounded but because underworld
activities flourish just as
much, if not more, elsewhere on
the Côte d'Azur.
The career of Marseille's
most famous politician has been
more spectacular than any
gangster activities. Millionaire
businessman Bernard Tapie
entered politics in the 1980s
with the express intention of
seeing off the neo-fascist Le
Pen. He became a député
and MEP, and even held a cabinet
post. He bought the city's
football team, delighting the
Marseillais with its success,
but a match-rigging scandal in
1993 led to Olympique de
Marseille's relegation from the
First Division and
investigations into not just the
team's finances but the whole of
Tapie's financial empire. The
subsequent lifting of his
parliamentary immunity and
charges of fraud and tax evasion
did nothing to dent his appeal,
however, and in 1994 seventy
percent of the Bouches-du-Rhône
electorate voted for him. He
then survived bankruptcy
proceedings, and was convicted
of bribery, embezzlement and
misuse of funds, but got off
with suspended sentences and a
brief spell in jail. While
defending his last case he
entered a new career, starring
in a film by Claude Lelouch, and
finally resigned from parliament
in 1996, faced with lengthy
appeals against ongoing
litigation. OM is now back again
at the top of the French
football league, having returned
to compete in Europe in the
1998-99 season.
