PARIS - Flamboyant state dinners, early trips for a multitude of delegations... The Court of Auditors, in its annual report on the accounts of the Elysee, published on Monday 29 July, examines the spending of the head of state, which jumped by 9.6 % in 2023, and widened the deficit of 8.3 million. The reason: a significant increase in the cost of receptions and presidential travel.
"Small streams make big rivers," urged Bruno Le Maire last April, hoping to pass through the bitter potion of his many budget constraints that has been in place in recent months. The Economy Minister's report clearly does not seem to have penetrated the walls of the Elysee, whose spending exploded in 2023, if we are to believe the annual report on the accounts of the Bureau of the Republic unveiled this Monday 29th by the Court of Auditors.
This expenditure, estimated at €124.2 million in 2023, an increase of 9.6 % (+€10.9 million) compared to the previous year, would create a deficit of €8.3 million for the financial year 2023 (while there was a surplus of €300,000 in 2022). "Deteriorated" financial situation , which according to the High Financial Court is expected in 2024 require "vigilance" and force "considerable efforts" to "restore and maintain the financial balance of the Presidency" .
Expensive travel madness
Unless this epidemic is related inflation on a global scale, financial judges point primarily to the cost of the head of state's travel and, to a lesser extent, the cost of receptions and official dinners. It doesn't appear that the ambition to find a few "streams" savings was clearly the primary concern in this regard for these two expenditure items, which would have thrown the Presidency's accounts into the red.
Travel and transport in particular. Their costs would have exceeded the estimated budget by EUR 7 million. The Court, although the Elysée admits "real attention to the issue of spending restraint" and also highlights the weight of inflation as a significant factor, yet points to the inherent flaws in the origins of these shortcomings that have caused the average cost of a presidential trip to jump from 125,000 to 207,000 euros in the seven years of the Macronist presidency.
In question: the madness of these official ways, which a head of state, eager to after the "occupation of the country" , in 2023, has benefited immeasurably after initially having to maintain some reserve between the four walls of the presidential palace to avoid contact with the large-scale popular mobilization against pension reform that marked the first months of the year.
Lots of delegations
Last June's three-day visit to Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), through which the head of state attempted to regain control by launching the second phase of his 'Marseille en grand' plan, cost the state no less than €342,828, which, according to the Court of Auditors a "particularly difficult" budget, which points to the number of delegations and the lack of "anticipation", which causes mainly last-minute cancellations. And a pity for the costs already incurred.
Judges say financial assessment of international travel "revealed difficulties in determining the estimated cost of travel". In particular, they want as proof a head of state trip to China in April 2023, which would prove to be "40 % more expensive than expected" .
" The proliferation of last-minute changes and cancellations creates disorganization and costs. If fluctuations in the presidential agenda are inevitable, it is generally acknowledged that anticipating decision-making is a major area for improvement ," the High Court report adds.
474 851 euros for a reception in honour of Charles III
Although they rank second as factors behind this explosion in spending, the receptions hosted by the Elysee remain spectacular in their clash with the general austerity course imposed on the country.
A particularly well-publicized reception hosted by in honour of King Charles III of England . in September 2023 in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles particularly marked the spirits with its splendour, prompting all speculation about the price of such debauchery of luxury. The answer is in the report: the bill came to €474,851 - of which more than €42,000 was spent on wine alone, for example - slightly more than the "state dinner" in honour of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 July 2023 at the Louvre Museum, which cost €412,366.
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