French President Emmanuel Macron spent crores of rupees to welcome PM Modi and King Charles

French News: French President Emmanuel Macron is in the news for his luxury and royal expenditure. France’s Public Audit Office has pointed out indiscriminate expenditure on welcoming foreign guests. The office said that last year several million euros were spent on state dinners organized for Britain’s King Charles, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping. This news has come at a time when the French government is continuously saying that it cannot afford the current public expenditure.

In September 2023, France hosted a state dinner for Britain’s King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla in the famous Hall of Mirrors of the 17th-century Versailles Palace. During this meal, Blue Lobster, Bresse French Poultry with Mushroom Gratin and French and English items were served. A report released by the Cour des Comptes on Monday said that the French government suffered a loss of 475,000 euros ($513,427) in this grand banquet. Of this, 166,000 euros were spent only on catering. In France, the Cour des Comptes keeps an eye on state budgets.

France spends big to welcome Modi
Eager to convince PM Modi that India should buy more submarines and fighter aircraft from France, Macron had organized a grand event in July 2023. Indian Prime Minister during this Narendra Modi A state dinner was also held in his honour, which cost the French government 412,000 euros. Whereas the cost of the banquet organized at the Elysee Palace of the French President was quite low. A state dinner hosted for Chinese President Xi Jinping in May cost just 138,000 euros, French auditors said.

More expenses are being incurred on Macron’s foreign trips
The auditor has also expressed concern over the increasing expenditure on foreign trips of the French President. It has been said in the report that the cost of traveling abroad is more than 23 thousand euros per hour. Airbus A330 is being used more for international flights. The audit office reported that expenditure on welcoming foreign guests and official visits has increased. Last year, the cost of Rashtrapati Bhavan increased by 6.5 percent to 117.2 million euros. In such a situation, there has been a loss of 8.3 million euros in the budget.