2024-08-01 08:33:46
The French financial watchdog announced that the Elysee Palace’s expenditures in 2023 exceeded the allocated budget.
According to the agency’s report, which was published on Tuesday, the French presidential palace spent 8.3 billion euros more than what was allocated to it, and its total expenditures in 2023 amounted to 125.5 billion euros.
The Financial Regulatory Authority linked this increase to the rise in transportation costs and the high national and global inflation rate.
The report indicated that French President Emmanuel Macron’s tours in 2022-2023 cost the French budget 7.4 billion euros, 46.3% more than the previous year’s index, as the number of tours reached 112 tours, 69 of which were by plane.
His tour to Oceania, which took him to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, was the most expensive, at €3.1 million.
The Elysée Palace hosted 171 luncheons in 2023, up from 146 in 2019, the last year before the coronavirus pandemic. The number of guests increased by 13% and the expenditure per guest increased by 20.5%.
The most expensive luncheon was during the visit of the British monarch, King Charles III, which cost the French budget 474 thousand euros, and in second place was the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which cost 412 thousand euros.
President Macron’s phone calls cost him 150,000 euros last year.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced last June that France would have to cut budget spending in 2024 by 25 billion euros instead of 20 billion, as previously planned, in order to maintain the budget deficit at 5.1%.
Returning to a budget deficit of 3% by 2027 would require spending cuts of €50 billion between 2025 and 2027.
Last updated: July 31, 2024 – 14:28
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2024-08-01 08:33:46