French EU Presidency: 'sumptuary' communication spending, says report

LR MP Marie-Christine Dalloz denounces "sometimes sumptuary" spending on communication for the French presidency of the European Union (January-June 2022) in a report seen by AFP.

Politically, the elected representative of Jura considers overall "positive" the balance sheet of the French presidency (PFUE) "given the adoption of a large number of major texts". But she wonders about "some expenses that seemed out of step with the economic situation" of the country and have "sometimes taken on a sumptuary character in view of the period of crisis".

739,380 euros to illuminate the Eiffel Tower

If it is "traditional that the country that presides decorates the buildings of the Council of the European Union" in Brussels, the right-wing MP regrets the "total cost" of this operation which has "reached 1,060,540 euros" for a "temporary installation". The amount is however "lower than that retained for the French presidency" of 2008 (1,325,778 euros), she nuances. Marie-Christine Dalloz criticizes especially "communication expenses", "3.5 million euros", according to her, and advocates making greater use of patronage in this area. She points to 739,380 euros spent on the illumination of the Eiffel Tower. "Indeed, three public contracts have been awarded: the first for the illumination during the month of January (2022) for an amount of 503,280 euros, the second for Ukraine on the occasion of Europe Day for an amount of 55,800 euros and the last for the end of the PFUE for an amount of 180,000 euros".

" READ ALSO Poland: the Constitutional Court at the heart of the arm wrestling with the European Union

The rapporteur also wonders about "EUR 1.2 million spent on promotional items and protocol gifts intended for a very varied public (ministers, staff, senior civil servants, journalists)". It calls for "a reflection on the categories of beneficiaries in order to reduce the costs of this item of expenditure". The standard box, "consisting of a gourd, a cotton bag, a notepad and a pencil was ordered up to 63,000 units," she says. In the premium box, 3495 units ordered for foreign ministers, commissioners, MEPs, were added a pen and a candle. This report was carried out as part of the spring of the evaluation, a meeting established at the National Assembly since 2018 to further control public policies.