French ministers' pay rise proves to be embarrassing

A 70 per cent  pay rise for French cabinet ministers, voted this week, has proved to be the most embarrassing episode of the Raffarin government's first three months in office, writes Lara Marlowe, in Paris

Prime Minister Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin argued budgetary stringency when he refused to give the traditional "shove" to the legal minimum wage in July. In these circumstances, the Green deputy Mr Noel Mamère said, the amendment benefiting the Raffarin government was "a little obscene".

The president of the Socialist group in the National Assembly, Mr Jean-Marc Ayrault,, asked, "Are ministers really sleeping rough?" Mr Raffarin's ministers had been moaning about how difficult it was to scrape by on €7,809 per month - less than a deputy in the National Assembly receives. Their new salary of €13,300 will be retroactive to the formation of the government on May 8th, and represents nearly 13 times that of a French minimum wage earner. The UDF deputy Mr Hervé Morin - a member of the right-wing majority - said it was unfortunate that the issue was resolved "at night, while French people are at the beach." A French cabinet minister still earns slightly less than his German counterparts €13,770 - and quite a lot less than an Italian €16,500 or British minister €16,600. By comparison, Irish ministers are practically impoverished; the increase approved by the Dáil in July 2001 left them with €10,616 per month.

Nor does the Taoiseach fare well compared to his European colleagues, with an annual salary of €158,576. Mr Raffarin will now earn €239,400; less than Mr Tony Blair €273,600. Italy's Prime Minister Mr Silvio Berlusconi declared an income of €8.6 million last year. The French Finance Minister, Mr Francis Mer, made the biggest sacrifice for public service. As chairman of the world's largest steel company Arcelor until May, Mr Mer earned the equivalent of his new annual salary every month.

President Jacques Chirac reportedly asked Mr Raffarin to block the amendment because it "sent the wrong signal". But the government did a U-turn on Thursday, saying it had decided "to bow to the wisdom" of parliament.