When France held the Rotating presidency of the EU last year a three day summit was held in the Grand Palace of Paris for Mediterranean Union.
A special made to order Toilet was built in this venue according to exact specifications for 5ft5in French leader. It had power and massage jet settings, a radio sound surround so that president would never be out of touch from the rest of the world even while washing, it was properly air-conditioned so that the air-flows did not steam up too much.
It was the part of refurbishment in which the Grand Palace was completely transformed so as to make it for the grand occasion. It took 500 technicians everyday including 300 in the night working everyday.
Almost £1 million was spent on the opening dinner for the 43 heads of state attending the summit. This worked out at more than £23,000 per head for dignitaries who included Gordon Brown. Around £300,000 was spend on the conference podium alone, with £90,000 going on a new carpet and £195,000 allocated to sprucing up the palace gardens.
But the most amazing part was when Sarkozy did not use this oh, so expensive toilet exclusively made for him not even once but preferred to use his official residence the Elysee Palace, just ten minute.
The cost of the shower, which was later ripped out and disposed of, was revealed in accounts released by France’s national audit office. They revealed a considerable amount of work was needed to design and install the shower unit in the palace, a listed building, at a cost of almost £250,000.
The EU’s complicated funding systems mean money is drawn from a combination of individual member state budgets and general ones to which all European taxpayers contribute, obviously they are not going to like this revelation. And back home we don’t even appreciate the statue galore.
