The European Space Agency's cash flow reached nearly 4 billion euros at the end of 2023. Of this dormant money, France's share represented 700 million euros.
The rule of geographic return stipulates that each country receives a workload aligned with its funding of a program. France has just launched a savings plan of 10 billion in 2024, and is considering reducing its contribution to the ESA. The French space agency, Cnes, must contribute 192 million (out of a budget of 3.029billion in 2024)