SALARY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC. This Sunday, April 24, the second round of the presidential election takes place. In the midst of the election period in recent weeks, many have wondered about the income of the head of state. Between received ideas and real advantages, Linternaute takes stock of the salary received by the President of the Republic.
As we discover this evening at 8 p.m. the results of the presidential election and the name of our future president for the next five years, Linternaute has found it useful to answer a key question: how much does the president of the Republic ? The subject is still the subject of numerous debates in French political life. But also fantasies, some sometimes extrapolating the advantages of the head of state. From General Charles-de-Gaulle to Emmanuel Macron via François Mitterand, the presidents of the Fifth Republic do indeed receive remuneration at the end of each month, like an average employee (but with a relatively comfortable remuneration). Unlike some countries where no official response is given, the French president’s salary is public.
The information is accessible to everyone. Emmanuel Macron, the outgoing President, received, in 2021, 15,203.81 euros gross per month including a basic allowance (€11,808.78), a residence allowance (€354.26) and a function allowance which , it is not subject to income tax (€3,040.76). This makes an annual salary of 182,400 euros (162,000 euros net).
Since this information is public in France, the president can respond to it at any time. The question had been put to him by a Marseille schoolgirl on September 2, 2021. To the laughter of the other children, the Head of State replied that he was paid as President of the Republic, before the withholding tax, approximately €13,500, and to detail that there was €8,500 left after the tax was deducted.
The remuneration received by the predecessors of Emmanuel Macron has evolved according to the presidents. In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy had increased the presidential remuneration to align it with that of the Prime Minister who, in France, earns more than the president: 21,300 euros gross, or 16,614 net.
In line with one of his campaign promises, François Hollande decided by decree, in the summer of 2012, to cut the salaries of ministers, the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic by 30%. The decree published in the Official Journal on August 24, 2012 recorded the reduction in the remuneration of members of the government, which had then fallen from 21,300 euros gross per month for the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to 14,910 euros.
During his election in 2017, Emmanuel Macron decided to be satisfied with this remuneration, while also renouncing to sit on the Constitutional Council. A role that could have brought him a monthly allowance of 13,500 euros after his departure from the Élysée. The results for tonight, 8 p.m., will tell us if his successor (or himself) will decide to keep this salary.
Note that the accumulation of income is impossible. The elements of remuneration of the President of the Republic are exclusive of any other salary, pension, bonus or indemnity, except those of a family nature.
The two former Presidents of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, have benefited since their departure from the Élysée Palace from material and human benefits for life paid for by the State. A former president receives a pension equivalent to that of an ordinary Councilor of State, ie 6,220 euros gross monthly, which is added to any salaries and pensions to which he is entitled for his professional activities other than the presidency. If he decides to sit on the Constitutional Council, as he is entitled to, he receives an additional 13,500 euros per month. Neither of the two former presidents is present in this institution responsible for ensuring respect for rights and freedoms. Tonight at 8 p.m., we will find out if Emmanuel Macron will become a former president, in which case he will enjoy the same advantages as his predecessors. We will also find out if he decides to sit on the Constitutional Council, knowing that he did not do so during his presidency.