Personal car with driver and secretariat (if they do not already have one as an elected official or in the context of a public function and for ten years maximum) for the 16 former Prime Ministers; office of three people and service agent, furnished and equipped premises, in addition to the vehicle with driver, for Presidents of the Republic who left office more than five years ago, according to a decree of 2016… These privileges granted to former heads of state and prime ministers will be removed in the event of a final vote on the 2025 budget the week of February 3.
The senators, in fact, voted for an amendment on Thursday, January 23, to put an end to these benefits provided for former heads of government and state. Tabled by UDI senator from Orne Nathalie Goulet, the text estimates the expenditure intended for the benefits of former prime ministers and presidents for the year 2023 at €2.8 million, when there were “only” 13 former Prime Ministers still alive that year (Élisabeth Borne, Gabriel Attal then Michel Barnier have since joined the contingent).
“Hop hop hop savings”
But for the Presidents of the Republic alone, the total cost of taking care of their premises and material resources (€196,981 for Nicolas Sarkozy, €221,074 for François Hollande) and dedicated personnel (€1,303,050 just in security costs for Nicolas Sarkozy and €1,210,286 for security costs alone also for François Hollande, the cost of collaborators being unknown) was estimated at €3 million each, according to an article in Le Figaro in 2022. A cost which has mechanically decreased since then, because the number of François Hollande's collaborators went from seven to three and from two to one service agent since the year 2022 marked the five years from the end of his mandate and the reduction of his benefits.
“End of the benefits of presidents and former prime ministers, it’s voted on and hop hop hop savings,” welcomed Nathalie Goulet on X.
-End of the High Commission for Planning
Another economy desired by the Senate, the High Commission for Planning, created in September 2020, with 14 civil servants and run on a voluntary basis by the current Prime Minister François Bayrou, according to Public Senate, should be abolished while its merger with France Strategy was wanted by Michel Barnier. An amendment, also tabled by Nathalie Goulet, was adopted with this in mind. Its budget was €1.9 million per year. Here too, the text will have to be validated during the parliamentary shuttle. The finance bill was approved in the Senate on Thursday, January 23, by 217 votes to 105.
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