Lavish State Dinners and Travel Costs Pressure Macron’s Budget

French President Emmanuel Macron's office amassed a significant budget overrun due to expensive state dinners, including one for Britain's King Charles. The spending contradicts the government’s message on fiscal prudence. The Cour des Comptes highlighted rising costs of presidential trips and official receptions, leading to a 6.5% increase in the presidency’s expenditures.

French President Emmanuel Macron's office has been hit with a multi-million euro budget overrun, largely due to extravagant state dinners, including a lavish lobster feast for Britain's King Charles, according to a report by the public audit office.

Amidst calls for fiscal discipline, Macron treated King Charles and Queen Camilla in September to an opulent meal in Versailles, costing the French state 475,000 euros ($513,427). Additionally, a state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Louvre in July 2023 added 412,000 euros to the expenses, the report noted.

The Cour des Comptes also criticized the rising costs of presidential trips abroad, highlighting the use of an Airbus A330, which costs over 23,000 euros per hour. As a result, the presidency's expenditures increased by 6.5% last year, culminating in a budget shortfall of 8.3 million euros.