The News
The French president’s office spent $500,000 on a grand state banquet for the king of England. A court audit found the Élysée Palace was around $9 million in the red, with luxurious dinners — such as those for King Charles III and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — among the biggest expenses.
Poor travel planning by Emmanuel Macron’s office meant it spent $900,000 on trips that were later canceled, including a loss of more than $500,000 on a single state visit to Germany. The menu for the king featured around $45,000 worth of wine, Politico reported, notably a bottle of 2004 Château Mouton Rothschild.