The French President, Emmanuel Macron has gone €8, 3 million over the presidential budget, after hosting lavish dinners for King Charles III and Indian PM Narendra Modi, reported France´s top audit court.
A royal welcome
Aiming to improve ties between London and Paris, the French President invited King Charles III to a bountiful banquet at the Palace of Versailles in September 2023. Attended by more than 150 people, the guests were invited for fine French dining with lobster, crab, champagne marinated poultry, French ceps and desserts of French macaron with lychee, rose sorbet and raspberry compote.
The audit report revealed that €166,193 was spent of catering and €42, 515 on drinks including vintage wines and champagnes. Macron said to the King that; “despite Brexit, and because our ties are so old, I know that we will continue to write together part of our continent´s history.”
At the Louvre
The French President similarly hosted India´s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a dinner at the Louvre Museum in the summer of 2023. The French audit report noted that the President´s office had then spent €172, 922 on catering and €36, 447 on drinks to welcome the PM. During their meeting, the long-standing cultural, trade and economic relations between the two countries were celebrated.
Necessary excess?
The Elysee reported about the banquet with King Charles III on its website, saying that the meeting; “provided an opportunity to show the world France´s cultural, artistic and gastronomic excellence.” Moreover, it noted French hospitality; “France keeps up a high level of diplomatic relations with numerous countries and organises reciprocal events when it welcomes heads of state.”
Aimed to improve international ties and build for a stronger future, can such excess spending be considered necessary to impress and to improve France´s relationships with other nations? During their banquet, King Charles III had raised a toast for the French President´s “generosity of spirit,” which he said, “brings to mind how my family and I were so greatly moved by the tributes paid in France to my mother, the late queen.”
Undoubtedly leaving each of his guests affected and with fond memories of France, should the President resort to using opulence as an expression of respect?
Everyday in France
In 2021, the poverty rate in France stood at 14,5 per cent, according to Insee; people across the country continue their attempts at survival. The average income of the people cared for by the French charity Secours Catholique stood at €538 per month in 2022, representing a daily budget of €18 to cover essential needs.
The charity reported that these are only the statistics available but the majority remain helpless. “The poorest people are hit by inflation, the noose is tightening, and deprivation is greater for things are not necessarily visible, such as heating or food.”
Meanwhile, the Presidential office´s spending levels stood at €125, 5 million in 2023, with an €8, 3 million budget deficit. The French audit reported the “sharp rise” and endorsed that; “Significant efforts must be undertaken from 2024 in order to restore and sustain the financial balance of the presidency.”
