Spending Cut a year ahead of target
President Hollande has managed to cut the spending at the Elysee Palace. Electric cars and fewer official visits by plane have helped the President cut his spending which is a year ahead of target.
The Elysée Presidential palace’s expenditure fell below the €100million mark last year, at €98.2million, according to officially audited figures approved by France’s Cour des Comptes.
Cutting spending was one of President Hollande’s 2012 election campaign pledges. It is estimated that by the end of his term in office, the Elysée Palace is due to have saved €17.2million in costs.
There have been cuts to the amount of staff from 836 to 806, and the number of official vehicles owned by the Elysée also fell from 88 to 69, ofwhich eight of them are now all-electric cars.
President Hollande has also made his travel itinerary more efficient, so made fewer international visits last year which has meant that the presidential Airbus A330 was used just 11 times, which represents a 17% cost saving in a year.
The Elysée Palace is spending more, however, on official receptions. The number of events climbed by a third last year, bringing with it extra catering and cleaning costs
