How many chauffeurs does the French government need?
The justice minister in France employs 22 drivers, but the staff numbers only 17 people. Even then the minister herself, Christiane Taubira, says she prefers to cycle.
The revelation has been given wide publicity over the weekend to what must have been a rather surprised nation and comes just as the government is about to announce deep budget cuts.
Manuel Valls, the prime minister, is preparing to axe €1.6 billion from ministries’ budgets and reduce the number of civil servants by about 12,000 a year over the next three years.
The cuts will affect all ministries, but the heads of the army, navy and air force have threatened to resign if the government further reduces the defence budget.
In its defence, if it can be called that, the justice ministry said “in the past four years, we’ve removed three drivers from our staff” and that the number of cars has been cut from 235 to 18.
The ruling Socialists have been obliged to make further spending cuts in the face of a contracting economy but expanding unemployment.
Steadily increases taxes have plunged President Hollande’s popularity due south, but after a crushing defeat in the European elections, the president has promised to cut taxes.
