A change of Prime Minister means a major reshuffle and the thanks that go with it. The newly appointed Gabriel Attal must present his government: a list reduced to 15 ministers and 15 secretaries of state, if respected, should come out very soon. Which would result in the non-reappointment of certain ministers.
And for them, as for other members of the government who are not reappointed, the advantages they benefit from, particularly in kind, will end, points out an article from France Info.
Concretely, this would mean: no more unlimited first-class plane or train tickets, a company car with driver and no more company accommodation paid for by the State. However, certain former ministers may benefit from police protection, decided by the Minister of the Interior. This was the case for Christiane Taubira and Rachida Dati when they, in 2016 and 2009 respectively, left the Ministry of Justice, the site also returns.
In terms of remuneration, outgoing ministers and secretaries of state will continue to receive compensation for three months. This period was six months before the 2013 law on transparency in public life. Compensation which is equivalent to their former salary set, according to Capital, at 10,490 euros gross per month for ministers and 10,115 euros gross for secretaries of state.
“This three-month duration means that unlike a traditional worker, […] former ministers do not have unemployment insurance. The compensation also ceases to be paid as soon as the former minister resumes professional activity “, explained Matthieu Caron, lecturer in public law at the University of Valenciennes and director general of the Observatory of Public Ethics, to FranceInfo.
So how much do they receive when they leave for their work at Matignon?
As for outgoing Prime Ministers, their remuneration is subject to two conditions. The first: there will be no compensation if the former member of the government returns to paid activity or regains a parliamentary seat during the three months following his departure from the government.
Another condition, the former minister or secretary of state, must, within two months following the cessation of his position, transmit a new declaration of assets as well as a new declaration of interests to the High Authority for the Transparency of Life public (HATVP) to verify that the person was not illegally enriched when they were in government, underlines the vie-publique site. Any former member of the government must also contact the HATVP if they wish to carry out an activity in the private sector during the three years following their time in the government.
If these two conditions are met, severance pay is paid. Contrary to popular belief, a minister who leaves office does not receive a lifetime pension. However, he receives a severance payment of €10,490 per month, for a maximum of 3 months. It is equivalent to his salary as a minister, details the site vie-publique.
But these advantages are very far from those reserved for ex-Prime Ministers.
These advantages of ex-ministers are far from those of a Prime Minister or an outgoing Prime Minister. Indeed, if a former tenant of Matignon also receives compensation for a period of three months, he can benefit from a private secretary as well as a company vehicle with driver for ten years and until the age of 67 years at the latest. These resources are not granted for life since a 2019 decree which imposes a duration limit. The only common denominator: police protection,” particularly exposed by his past functions, the outgoing head of government benefits from a coordinated police protection system. by the Protection Service of the Ministry of the Interior (SDPL)”, which may exceptionally be granted to certain ministers.
