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Dating apps and pet-sitters: What can French MPs claim on expenses?

A French MP recently came under fire for using public funds to pay for things like her dating app subscription and pet-sitting services - while this is not within the scope of official expenses, there are plenty of other perks for French lawmakers.

Published: 13 September 2024 09:57 CEST
Dating apps and pet-sitters: What can French MPs claim on expenses?
The lower house at the France's National Assembly in Paris on July 18, 2024. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP)

Christine Engrand, a Rassemblement National (RN) MP for Pas-de-Calais, was found to have used her parliamentary stipend – intended for work-related expenses – for personal purchases between 2022 and 2023.

French investigative website, Médiapart, reported that Engrand spent €39 a month on a dating website, pet-sitting for her two dogs while she was in Paris for work (€27 a day), as well as her mother’s funeral expenses (€5,000).

The MP admitted on X that she had used some public funds for private purposes, claiming that she had confused her personal bank card with the professional one and that the expenses in question had been reimbursed.

How does payment for MPs work in France?

MPs are paid a salary, as well as two allowances to cover expenses related to their mandate – the first is the ‘advance for parliamentary expenses’ and the second is the staff credit.

As for the ‘advance’, this totalled €5,950, as of 2024, and it was set up in 2018 to help cover other expenses related to the MP’s mandate that are not directly covered or reimbursed by the Assemblée.

Expenses are verified, and each elected member is audited at least once per parliamentary term.

These funds are meant to be paid into a specific account and the unused portion is put back into the budget of the Assemblée Nationale at the end of their term.

It was this fund that the RN MP used for her personal expenses, which is problematic considering this is only intended to be related to her duties as an elected official.

MPs are also given a monthly budget of €11,118 to pay for the hiring of up to five staff members. It is forbidden to employ family members, but the MP does get to recruit, fire and set the working rules and salaries of staff.

READ MORE: Will my French deputé help me with a local problem?

What about their salaries?

French MPs have been paid salaries since 1938, when the standard was created with the goal of ensuring that députés are able to remain independent and fully focused on their duties as elected officials.

This is called the indemnité parlementaire de base, and it comes out to €5,931.95 (pre tax) per month. On top of that, MPs are given a housing stipend of €177.96 per month, and an indemnité de fonction (duty allowance) which totals €1,527.48.

In total, an MPs gross monthly salary comes out to €7,637.39.

For certain MPs, this can be higher depending on their position. For example, the President of the Assemblée earns €7,698.50.

What about other perks?

The Assemblée Nationale also covers the expenses for French MPs to travel for free along the national rail network (SNCF) in France, in either 1st or 2nd class.

The Assemblée also offers MPs a fleet of a dozen chauffeur-driven vehicles that can be used while travelling in Paris and in the Paris region, subject to their availability, if they are travelling for a work-related purpose.

MPs also benefit from two restaurants and refreshment bar (buvette) that are intended for members of parliament, as well as two self-service cafeterias.

For MPs without accommodation in the Paris area, they can benefit from a reimbursement of up to €1,200 per month when renting a place in Paris, but this location cannot be their main residence and the owner cannot be the MP, their spouse or any family members.

How does that compare to the average French person?

The MP salary is more than four times France’s minimum wage, which is currently set to €1,767 (gross) per month.

Meanwhile, Actu France reported that MP’s salaries come out to more than three times the disposable income of the average French person, which is estimated at €2,028 (gross) per month, citing 2022 INSEE data.

If this is sounding pretty appealing, then you could run for office. Just remember – to be elected to French parliament you must hold French nationality, be at least 18 (for MPs) or 24 (for senators), and not be in “any position of incapacity or ineligibility” such as being under legal guardianship.

It is not required to have been French from birth in order to become an MP (or to become the president for that matter).

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LEARNING FRENCH

Reader question: Should I use Madame or Mademoiselle in France?

You might have heard that the use of the title Mademoiselle has become a little controversial in modern France - so should you still use it? And if so, when?

Published: 18 September 2024 11:52 CEST
Reader question: Should I use Madame or Mademoiselle in France?

As most language learners will be aware, in French the title for men is Monsieur, while women can be referred to as Madame or Mademoiselle.

These can be used as both a title to talk about someone – eg Monsieur Mbappé, Madame Macron – or to address them directly, Bonjour Monsieur, Bonsoir Madame.

Adding a Monsieur/Madame after your greeting makes it a little more formal and respectful – you might therefore hear it used by young people when greeting an older person or in a formal setting such as a meeting.

Likewise referring to someone as ‘le monsieur’ is usually heard in customer service settings and indicates a little extra politeness – eg le monsieur a un rendez-vous – the gentleman has an appointment.

But when referring to women you have a choice of whether to use Madame or Mademoiselle.

Historically, this referred to a woman’s marital status – Madame was for married women, Mademoiselle was for unmarried women. In fact the word oiselle is an old-fashioned term meaning virgin

Men get called Monsieur whether they are married or not, because in patriarchal societies men don’t get defined by their marital status.

However the meaning of Madame has shifted in France, and since roughly the second half of the 20th century Madame began to become more about age than about marital status.

Mademoiselle came to be used more for girls and young women, and Madame for older women, and whether or not they were married.

However, within the last decade there has been another shift, with some people calling for Mademoiselle to be scrapped altogether, saying it is outdated and sexist. If men get a single title, why can’t women?

In 2012 the term Mademoiselle was officially banned from all legal forms in France and you will notice on an increasing number of websites the box for civilité (title) contains only options for monsieur or madame.

Communications from official bodies such as the préfecture refer to all women as Madame, while most commercial organisations (eg your bank) do too. 

An increasing number of younger French women say that they dislike the term Mademoiselle.

Julie, a 26-year-old archaeology student, told The Local: “In the law it is forbidden to use Mademoiselle now, and I like it, we’re not completely there yet but we are getting used to it, and honestly it is much better Madame and Monsieur, otherwise if you want to use Mademoiselle, you have to use jeune-homme.

“When someone addresses me they use Mademoiselle with me, which most of the times I’m okay with, but sometimes you feel as if the person addressing you as Mademoiselle has a hidden and weird motive behind it, for example using it to flirt and it annoys me a lot.”

Louise, 32-year-old teacher, said: “I always use Madame, it allows me not to differentiate between women and men. Also it decreases the chances of assuming whether that person is married or not, or her age, or her looks.

“Some people address me as Madame and others as Mademoiselle but personally, I prefer Madame, I use Madame with everyone, even my young pupils, to eliminate the differentiation between them.'”

The term itself is not outlawed, however, and plenty of people do still use it, especially French people of the older generation.

It might also depend on the situation – for example a young waitress in a café could be referred to as Mademoiselle but if you’re talking to a younger work colleague you would more likely use Madame.

So which should you use?

Well in good news, being a foreigner gets you a certain leeway on French language battles – if you use Mademoiselle incorrectly and are speaking with a foreign accent, most French people will be more likely to assume that you have made a language mistake because you are foreign, rather than making an etiquette gaffe.

As outlined above; Mademoiselle is fine for children and teenagers while some women in their 20s, especially their early 20s, may not object to it.

You’ll also find demographic differences with older French people being more likely to use Mademoiselle widely.

If in doubt, however, it’s probably safer to use Madame.

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