At the same time as France’s President Emmanuel Macron is urging France to “tighten its belt,” costs at the Élysée Palace for 2023 are poised to soar to between 123 and 127 million euros, an excess over budget of 12 to 15 percent above the initially allocated 114.4 million euros, according to a report by French think tank Observatory of Public Ethics (OEP). The surge in spending is primarily attributed to a remarkable spike in travel expenditures of 23 million euros, far exceeding the initially budgeted 16 million euros.
As if extraordinary expenditures weren’t enough in and of themselves, the report raises concerns also about the Élysée’s “partial and sometimes confusing” explanations for these budget overruns in 2023, which are put into sharp contrast by President Macron’s previous reforms to streamline procedures and reduce expenses.
The excesses of this year are “astonishing,” according to the report, never seen before since the existence of presidential budgets–especially surprising because the revamped procedures put into place by Macron were “intended to operate more efficiently and economically.”
The OEP report notes that certain “conjunctural inflationary factors” have had an impact on the Elysée’s expenses, including “the rise in inevitable consumption such as energy costs,” “the full-year effects of the 2022 wage measures,” and “the very strong presidential activity.”
The Élysée had estimated a €5.2 million increase in its 2023 budget in 2022, a rise of 4.8% over the previous year, citing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a major cause.
Given that “the President needs resources for his activities,” stated the report, it is important that he conducts those activities “at the most reasonable cost.” Absent better explanations by the Palace, an upcoming report from the Court of Auditors is expected to provide “further insights.”
Paris’ 2024 budget proposal includes a series of measures to reduce the 2023 budget to €122.9 million.