Paris - As trade unions continue to protest against French
President Nicolas Sarkozy's efforts to trim state expenses, the web
site of the daily Le Figaro reported Wednesday that expenditures for
Sarkoky's office increased by 8.3 per cent in 2007.
That rise is about three times the increase in state expenditures
over the same period, said lawmaker Rene Dosiere, who has worked for
years on tracking the expenses of the Elysee Palace.
The report is potentially embarrassing for Sarkozy, who saw his
popularity plunge in part because he had himself voted a large pay
rise shortly after taking office last year as the purchasing power of
the French stagnated.
The increase in expenditures of the presidential office from 32.1
million euros (49.7 million dollars) in 2006 to 35.1 million euros in
2007 was driven by three factors, Dosiere said: a 10 per cent
increase in personnel costs, a 53 per cent rise in the budget for
repairs and equipment and a 29 per cent jump in the presidential
salary.
Sarkozy was the first French president to grant himself a pay hike
upon taking office.
Because Sarkozy took office on May 16, not all the expenses could
be attributed to his administration. However, Dosiere said that
Sarkozy's predecessor, Jacques Chirac, had actually left more money
in the presidential till than expected
Some presidential expenses fell, however. The cost of the
presidential Christmas tree decreased by 20 per cent and expenses for
wine plunged 44 per cent. The reason? Sarkozy is a teetotaller.
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