Revealed: the wealth of France’s socialists and their secret love of Renaults
Esther Bintliff
Financial Times, April 16, 2013
There’s nowhere left to hide! The champagne socialists have been outed, their secret extravagance and hypocritical lives of luxury exposed once and for all!
At least, that’s what critics of François Hollande’s government must have been hoping.
What actually emerged from the enforced declaration of assets by French cabinet ministers on Monday was somewhat less exciting.
Ok, so there are a few millionaires – foreign minister Laurent Fabius is officially the cabinet’s richest member, with assets of around €6m; minister for the elderly Michèle Delaunay has about €5.4m, including two houses and €15,000 in jewellery.
And yes, Arnaud Montebourg, that famous leftwing fireband, owns an Eames chair that he bought for €4,300. But who said socialists weren’t allowed to covet icons of modern design?
You can peruse the documents yourself, minister by minister, on a special website courtesy of the French government. We found the section marked: “Véhicules terrestres à moteur, bateaux, avions, etc.” of particular interest. From it, we have learned the following.
1) This is not a cabinet of petrolheads or luxury car enthusiasts. With a few exceptions, these ministers like cars that are French-made, sensible, easy to park, and inexpensive. Thus, the most popular car in the French cabinet is the Renault Clio, a vehicle described by WhatCar magazine as a “chic supermini [that] offers low running costs”.
2) Most, though not all, are patriotic in their car-buying. We counted 4 Citroens, 9 Peugeots, and no fewer than 19 Renaults. Of the Renaults, after the Clio, the Twingo and the Megane were particularly favoured. Only a few ministers broke from French brand names – including minister of defence, Jean Yves Le Drian, whose cars include a Suzuki Wagon R from July 2004 and a Lancia Ypsilon from 2012.
3) The coolest car belongs to prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. He owns a Volkswagen Combi campervan purchased in 1988. It’s now valued at €1,000.
4) Justice minister Christiane Taubira is into cycling. As well as a Hyundai car bought in 2008, she owns three bikes – though none of them cost more than €400 each. Somewhat shockingly, Cécile Duflot of the Green party has not one but two cars. However, both are old – she has a Renault Twingo from 1999, and a Renault R4 from 2000, and they’re worth less than €2,000 together. Could it be time to invest in a Prius?
5) No French cabinet minister owns their own aeroplane.
6) More surprisingly, seven of them (Fabius, Canfin, Benguigui, Moscovici, Valls, Batho and Filippetti) say they don’t even own a car.This suggests an admirable commitment to the environment and the benefits of walking, or else reflects the reality of parking in Paris and chauffered government trips. (Ministers aren’t required to list the assets of their partners, so it’s also possible they’re just catching lifts with their other half).
7) Two ministers report owning a boat, but neither is exactly in the super yacht category. Employment minister Michel Sapin has what is described as a “bateau peche promenade” (a small motor boat), purchased in 2009, with an estimated value of €4,000. Marylise Lebranchu has a Beneteau sailboat bought in 2010, which she estimates is worth around €2,000.
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