Populist proposal or good idea to bring the top of the state closer to the citizens? As part of our “Proposals Lab” for the presidential election, “Ccorrec”, a reader, suggests that we “close the Élysée and Matignon”. The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister “will live in decent apartments” and it will be “the end of gilding, Sèvres porcelain and the furniture of kings”, he adds, believing that “we are in a Republic and that they are supposed to represent us”. We have deciphered this proposal.
What is it about ?
This idea consists of moving the seat of the summit of the State, both the Élysée Palace and the Hôtel de Matignon. The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister should therefore both live and sit elsewhere. Both do not always live in these two places of power, although they usually do.
What are the costs and benefits?
The Hôtel d’Evreux, which has housed the seat of the presidency since 1848, is expensive. Each year, the budget of the Presidency of the Republic exceeds 100 million euros (106.8 million in 2020, according to the latest report from the Court of Auditors). This sum includes the maintenance of the Élysée Palace, but also that of the other presidential residences, the cost of travel, the salaries of employees (798 as of December 31, 2020), etc. Staff costs also represent more than two-thirds of the budget.
We can therefore think that closing would represent a source of profit. But the former socialist deputy René Dosière, a connoisseur of public finances, disagrees. “Certainly, there would be savings on the maintenance of the Élysée Palace. But it would still be necessary to take care of this historical monument and it would be necessary to build new premises and to do some work. In the end, it would be a source of additional expenses, ”he develops.
And if the Élysée, with its 350 rooms and its park of almost hectares, were put up for sale, how much could the State pocket? “At least 300 million euros, judged a few years ago the boss of an investment fund. But if this place steeped in history attracts a collector, a loving billionaire who wants to treat himself to madness, it can go much higher…”
Is it doable?
In itself, yes. Moving the Presidency of the Republic and the residence of the Prime Minister to more modern buildings would be possible. “The Élysée is no longer suitable at all, modern buildings are needed”, even estimated François Fillon during the primary of the right, in 2016. He was far from being the first. General de Gaulle had thought of moving to the Château de Vincennes, François Mitterrand to the Invalides and Nicolas Sarkozy to the Military School. But none took the leap.
In practice, that would be no small feat. It would be necessary to rethink the entire organization and probably redeploy some of the (many) staff of the Élysée. “We should ensure the functionality of new buildings, particularly in terms of security”, notes political scientist Olivier Rouquan, according to whom this idea of moving places of power “is quite secondary compared to other issues, including institutional”.
“The idea that institutions cost money is quite normal. And when you represent the state, you have to keep your rank, ”he adds. René Dosière agrees with this. Closing the Élysée, “this would harm the image of France, given the historical and symbolic weight that this place represents”, estimates the former parliamentarian.
What about abroad?
Several of our neighbors do not have a palace as sumptuous as that of the Élysée to house the pinnacle of power. The German Chancellor’s work residence is a fairly modern building right in the heart of Berlin. That of the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, at 10 Downing Street, even has the appearance of a building like any other. Even if, of course, the police control all access to the street. In Italy, on the other hand, the seat of the Presidency of the Republic is one of the largest palaces in Europe, that of the Quirinal, in Rome.
What are the candidates saying?
In his program, none of the main candidates proposes to move the Élysée. In April 2017, Jean-Luc Mélenchon had simply indicated that he “did not think of living there” in the event of an election, wanting “to be able to continue to live” where he lived then. But without questioning the seat of the Presidency of the Republic.
At the same time, Philippe Poutou was much more decided. The candidate of the New Anti-Capitalist Party, again on the starting line this year, said at the time want to transform the presidential residence into a “museum”. And more precisely in “museum of old-fashioned power”, representing “what was not democratic, crooked politicians, schemers. »
In summary
Symbolically, moving these places of power could bring the top of the state closer to the citizens. But the savings made by this operation would not be so obvious according to specialists and would risk weakening the image of France abroad.