Sébastien Lecornu is considering reducing the salaries of ministers and some cabinet members as part of the 2027 budget. The measure would be primarily symbolic: its impact on public finances would remain very limited, but the Prime Minister's office wants to demonstrate that the government is also contributing to the efforts being asked of the French people. "The Prime Minister doesn't feel he can ask the French people to make sacrifices if the government itself isn't willing to do so," explains his entourage.
The last significant cut dates back to François Hollande . In 2012, one of his first decisions was to reduce the salaries of the President of the Republic and members of the government by 30%. A minister's salary then went from €14,200 to €9,940 gross per month.
French ministers not particularly overpaid in Europe
A European comparison puts the idea of particularly high salaries in France into perspective. A French minister today receives just over €10,000 gross per month. In Germany , ministerial salaries are significantly higher and can exceed €20,000 per month before allowances.
In the United Kingdom , a Minister of State who is also a member of the House of Commons receives ministerial pay in addition to their parliamentary allowance, bringing the total annual compensation to a significantly higher level than that of a French minister. However, this comparison should be approached with caution, as the institutional systems are different.
Spain, on the other hand, is at a lower level, with a more modest annual ministerial salary. France is therefore far from being the country where ministers are the highest paid in Europe.
The 30% reduction decided in 2012 has also created a unique situation: some members of ministerial cabinets or senior civil servants can now receive remuneration higher than that of the minister on whom they depend.
The Prime Minister, however, is prioritizing setting an example over genuine cost-cutting measures. A reduction in ministerial allowances would only bring in a few million euros compared to the tens of billions needed to balance the public accounts. A roughly 10% reduction in allowances for members of parliament and senators is also being discussed, but the Prime Minister's office reiterates that this decision rests with Parliament . The issue is therefore primarily political: convincing the French people that the budgetary effort begins with those who are demanding it.
