The amendment of the Senate to the finance bill which proposed to end the advantages granted to former presidents and prime ministers was not retained by the CMP. François Bayrou was not favorable.
This is a decision that should make teeth cringe. While the government has launched article 49.3 of the Constitution to have the state budget adopted, and this executive seeks by several means to make important savings for the country, the joint joint commission (CMP) decided , on January 31, 2025, not to return to the abolition of the advantages granted to the former presidents of the Republic and ex-prime ministers. To save money, the Senate had initially deleted these advantages, ultimately, the text will not have survived the parliamentary shuttle.
An envelope of 2.8 million euros
The idea of removing the advantages for former presidents and tenants of Matignon was carried by centrist senator Nathalie Goulet. “Safety is maintained, it is the other costs that are not,” she explained on Sud Radio. With such a measure, 2.8 million euros could have been saved, but which will continue to be assigned to former leaders.
This envelope concerns for example the financing of a car with a driver as well as a secretariat in the case of a mandate (parliamentary or local elected official). Finally, he can also take charge of the rent of an office for a former head of state. “These senior officials are not at the Restos du Coeur. They receive significant pensions. In responsibility, the CMP should maintain this suppression at a significant level,” she argued, in vain. The latter does not lose hope, however, and intends to continue her fight: “We will start again next year” she launched to Public Senate, in other words, for the 2026 budget.
François Bayrou pleads for “stable things”
And according to information from the Duck Enchaîné (January 29, 2025), an eminently important member of the executive in place would have opposed the abolition of these advantages. It is Prime Minister François Bayrou. “In the state, there must be stable things (…) when we take up positions of responsibility in moments of crisis, there are necessarily, for the future, precautions to take”, a- He indicated to certain MODEM deputies, according to the newspaper.
Obviously, the head of government is not the only one for whom the suppression of these advantages appeared as a bad idea. The Minister of Public Accounts, Amélie de Montchalin provided on January 26 on BFMTV that “many of these expenses are protection and security expenses (…) Their security is not superfluous: if they are attacked, It is all France that is attacked, “she said.