Dinner at €475,000 and Raspberry Compote: French Audit Calculates Cost of President Macron's Banquet for King Charles III and Others
France's love affair with grand gestures and luxurious restaurants is fully confirmed in the pages of the annual audit of the Elysee Court budget, published on Monday by the Cour des Comptes, France's highest court of financial accounts. The Office of the French President spent almost 475,000 euros last year on a dinner for King Charles III. The guests dined on lobster and crab, French poultry marinated in champagne, and a gratin of French white truffles. Guests were also offered vintage wines and champagne, and dessert was French macaron with lychee and pink sorbet and raspberry compote, Politico reports.
In total, the gala dinner cost 474,851 euros. Of this amount, 166,193 euros were spent on catering and 42,515 euros on drinks.
The audit report also states that the President's office spent €412,366 on a dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Louvre, of which €172,922 was spent on catering and €36,447 on drinks.
The report warns of an inflated level of spending by the President's office. In 2023, expenses totalled €125.5 million, with a deficit of €8.3 million.
‘Starting from 2024, significant efforts are needed to restore and maintain the financial balance of the presidency,‘ the auditors’ report says.
