French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced his intention to terminate "lifetime" benefits for ex-prime ministers while starting to prepare for political discussions before seeking approval for a new budget in parliament.
"We are unable to request the French citizens to exert effort if those in leadership positions do not do the same. Change is not always directed at others, as it can lead to distrust," he mentioned during an interview over the weekend.
And those remarks were supported by a post on X on Monday, where he stated, "It's completed."
"Starting January 1, 2026, the 'lifetime' perks for former government officials will be removed," he stated.
Lecornu was appointed as prime minister by President Emmanuel Macron on 9 September, succeeding François Bayrou, who failed to secure parliamentary confidence after suggesting €44 billion in budget reductions aimed at controlling France's national debt.
At his inauguration, Lecornu pledged a "departure" from previous practices as he tackled the challenging endeavor of forming a government with enough parliamentary backing to approve a budget.
What benefits do former ministers receive?
Previous prime ministers receive various privileges, such as police security offered by the Protection Service (SDLP) unit within the national police force.
According to the updated guidelines set by Lecornu, this safeguard will be limited to a maximum of three years and can only be prolonged if there is a significant risk.
A vehicle and a driver are also provided to former prime ministers, funded by the government. This lifelong perk will be limited to a period of 10 years.
Former prime ministers are also eligible for the assistance of a personal secretary, a benefit that continues for 10 years or until the ex-PM turns 67. There have been no updates regarding this entitlement.
In conclusion, former prime ministers are eligible to receive a total of €15,000 each month for the first three months following their departure from office.
In 2024, the yearly expense for the state related to benefits provided to former prime ministers and ministers was approximated at almost €4.4 million, with nearly half of this sum allocated to police security.
Which former leaders cost the state the most in 2024?
As per official figures released by the National Assembly in May 2025, Dominique de Villepin emerged as the most expensive ex-prime minister, with the government spending €207,072 on his behalf.
He was succeeded by Bernard Cazeneuve with a salary of €198,290, Jean-Pierre Raffarin earning €158,208, and Lionel Jospin receiving €157,657.
Édith Cresson completes the top five, valued at €157,223.
Political reactions
Laurent Saint-Martin, a member of the Renaissance (RE) party, commended this action, describing it as long overdue.
The Secretary General of the national trade union CGT, Sophie Binet, raised concerns, stating that the measure will not be sufficient to counterbalance other financial decisions considered unjust in the upcoming budget.
As per the French national statistics institute (INSEE), the nation's debt amounted to €3.345 trillion by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
In the meantime, from the far-right National Rally (RN), MP Sébastien Chenu described the action as "very good," but labeled it a "gimmick" and alleged that Lecornu was "doing PR."