Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The 250,000-euro shower (that was never used)

Marc explains the news from France.

Read the story HERE.

Until the Lisbon Treaty comes into effect, European Union countries take turns presiding the EU, with a new country taking over every six months. A report from the Cour des Comptes (think General Accounting/Government Accountability Office) to the Senate criticizes the extraordinarily high cost of the recent French presidency, where our belovèd President Nicolas the Short blew the bank.

The cost of the 6-month presidency? 175 million euros, over twice the price of any previous presidency in France or elsewhere in the EU. Sarkozy spent an additional 16 million on the Mediterranean Union summit (the MU is his "brainchild"), where the dinner cost over 5000 euros per person, and the installation of a shower for Sarkozy's exclusive use (and which he never used) cost 250,000 euros.

And the crap logo supposedly designed by Philippe Starck for the sum of 57,000 euros...