An accomplished boxer, Christophe Naegelen is "passionate about sport and competition." The 39-year-old has been an MP for the LIOT group of miscellaneous independents since 2017, and the president of the France-Qatar friendship group at the Assemblée Nationale since 2022. He was invited as part of a ministerial and Elysée delegation to attend the quarter-finals and final of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in December 2022. Le Monde has learned he was also invited to Qatar at the beginning of October, and attended first practice sessions and then the race at the emirate's Formula 1 Grand Prix, on the Losail circuit.

Before he was contacted by Le Monde on Wednesday, November 8, Naegelen had not yet officially declared these benefits and travels to the Assemblée Nationale's public register of invitations and trips accepted by MPs. He has confirmed that he has done so, after he spoked with Le Monde. The MP's three declarations were published on Thursday, November 9, with him acknowledging that he made two of them "belatedly."

On May 30, Naegelen had duly declared in the public register another four-day trip to Doha in June, as part of the France-Qatar friendship group, paid for by the Qatari embassy in France.

When contacted by Le Monde, the Assemblée Nationale replied, according to its regulations, elected members must declare, "within one month of its reception, any donation, invitation to a sporting or cultural event or advantage" as well as "any acceptance of an invitation to travel, regardless of the third party, from which they have benefited as a result of their mandate. The declaration, made prior to the trip, must be accompanied by details of the travel plans and details of the travel arrangements."

"These general rules apply to the activities of MPs within the context of friendship groups. The value threshold has been set at 150 euros," said the Assemblée Nationale, adding that its ethics officer Jean-Eric Gicquel can monitor certain elected officials more closely in the event of a tip-off, and report breaches to the bureau of the Assemblée, the body that can take disciplinary action.

Naegelen received a free seat at the stadium and free accommodation (for two nights) for the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. Initially invited by the emirate, the MP was part of a delegation led by Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera (whose accommodation was paid for by Qatar), which notably met with the International Labor Organization and the tournament's organizing committee. He claims to have paid for his round-trip flight using an advance on his parliamentary expense allowance.

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