AFP/Archives – STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN
Following the audit of the accounts and management of the services of the Presidency of the Republic for the year 2023, the Court of Auditors reports in its report published on Monday July 29, the still too high expenditures made. They would amount to no less than 8.3 million euros of deficit on the initial budget allocation.
< p>While the two years preceding 2023 were marked by the drop in activity due to Covid, expenses related to travel and receptions took off again last year. Reaching 21 million euros, they contrast with the 13.3 million for 2022 and the 9.87 million for 2021. Among the causes cited for this sudden increase, there is also the “high level of inflation” which would inflate the bill. As AFP points out, the total expenses of the presidency amounted to 125.5 million euros in 2023. Enough to increase the initial budget allocation by 8.3 million euros, despite the addition of the profits made with the Élysée brand, which is supposed to amortize the costs. The Court of Auditors goes further by estimating that “this deficit result made it necessary to draw on the treasury”. The various major trips planned by Emmanuel Macron in 2023, such as Africa, China and Mongolia, to name but a few, have caused spending to soar.
A second initiative to increase the bill, the renovation of the grand kitchens of the Élysée Palace would have required more frequent use of “catering services”. This is without counting the state dinners in honour of King Charles III and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will have cost 475,000 and 412,000 euros respectively.
Another responsible party to be taken into consideration according to the financial jurisdiction, the problems related to the internal organization are to be reviewed, causing additional costs that could be avoided. In conclusion, the Court of Auditors considers that “efforts must be continued and strengthened to better anticipate events, improve the flow of information between departments [and] raise awareness among certain actors of budgetary issues”. As a good student, the presidency assures for its part that it takes “account of the Court's remarks to improve its organization and its internal systems”. As a reminder, however, it affirms that “France maintains sustained diplomatic relations with many countries that organize equivalent events when they receive the head of state”. All that remains is to see how his listening to the recommendations of the Court of Auditors will translate into the future.
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