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#Videocrux - Sarkozy cracks down on ministers' perks Sarkozy cracks down on ministers' perks
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has moved to slash perks for members of the government, after a series of rows about ministers' spending at a time when budget cuts are hitting the public.
Sarkozy ordered to crack down officials' amount
Fancy hats and petit fours. No more. Eager to show that the state is tightening its belt, Nicolas Sarkozy has called off the traditional Bastille Day garden party at the French presidential palace this year. The French president also ordered Prime Minister Francois Fillon to crack down on officials' parties, planes, cars and even cut by half the amount of paper used in ministries A series of announcements that this opposition MP says are pure PR.
Measures taken not enough to make govt action credible
René Dosière, MP, Opposition "I have the feeling it’s a communication's operation. And that the measures taken are more about making a big statement, but they’re not enough to make the action of the government credible."
Govt vowed to slash public spending by 100b euros
To tackle France’s soaring public deficit, the French government has vowed to slash public spending by at least 100 billion euros over three years. But at the same time, Sarkozy’s private plane bill paid by public funds - has doubled in a year, and several of his ministers have been pulled up for abusing the state’s generosity. One minister spent 12,000 euros on cigars, while another splashed out over 116,000 euros on a private plane. As part of his cost-cutting plan, Sarkozy also said he would halt the wild boar hunts which are sometimes held on state land to entertain important guests. The hunt now is for political solutions to a crucial government publicity problem.

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