LeCornu takes a minimal advance on Prime Ministers' allowances
The French government has announced a series of reforms aimed at eliminating lifetime benefits for former prime ministers and reducing public spending. The changes, proposed by newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, are expected to generate significant savings for the state.
According to a report by Deputy Marie-Christine Dalloz, last year she unearthed spending details for each former prime minister, revealing the extent of these benefits. The savings from the reform are estimated to amount to around one million euros, based on the 2023 spending of the beneficiaries of the scheme.
The reform will affect several former prime ministers, including Bernard Cazeneuve, Manuel Valls, and Jean Castex, who remain beneficiaries of these benefits. Cazeneuve receives over 200,000 euros, Valls receives 140,000 euros, and Castex receives 3,000 euros. However, prime ministers who left Matignon before the end of 2015, such as Dominique de Villepin, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Lionel Jospin, François Fillon, Édouard Balladur, Alain Juppé, Laurent Fabius, Edith Cresson, and Jean-Marc Ayrault, will see their benefits cease.
The use of an on-demand secretariat remains limited to ten years, up to age 67, as per the 2019 decree. Ex-prime ministers will continue to enjoy a driver and car, but the tenure for this benefit has been limited to a maximum of ten years. The decree also provides for the rental of an office and reception expenses, as per the 2016 decree signed by François Hollande.
The policing protection of former governments, funded by the Ministry of the Interior, will be time-limited in the next decree and renewable in case of threat. The ten-year limit for benefits will now apply retroactively from January 1, 2026.
However, the changes do not affect the benefits of the two former presidents of the Republic, allowing Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande to continue enjoying their 1.3 million euro allowance. Vincent Delahaye, a centrist senator, has reacted to the changes, stating it is a "small step in the right direction," but remains largely unsatisfied due to a previous amendment that was reversed.
Deputy Dalloz plans to update each person's spending in 2024, digging through Matignon's records in her role as a special budget rapporteur. Vincent Delahaye plans to renew his efforts in the hemicycle this fall to put an end to these benefits for former prime ministers and presidents.
The reforms are part of Lecornu's broader governmental reforms to reduce expenses. The Prime Minister has promised to eliminate "lifetime" benefits for his predecessors, marking a significant shift in the way former government officials are supported financially.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
