Macron slammed for birthday celebration

FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macron celebrated his birthday yesterday at theiconic chateau of King Francois I, a choice denounced by critics as anexample of how he is “cut off from the people”.Macron, who turns 40on Thursday, is spending the weekend with his wife Brigitte and extendedfamily at the chateau of Chambord in France’s Loire Valley, localFrench newspaper La Nouvelle Republique reported.With its fairy talefacade, elaborately turreted roofline and vast grounds, Chambord isprobably the valley’s best-known Renaissance chateau, located about200km (125 miles) southwest of Paris.The president and his familywill be staying at one of the cottages on the vast estate, French mediareported, with a birthday gala in the evening evening in one of thecastle’s 440 rooms.The estate has several four-star guest houses which can be rented for €800 to €1,000 ($950 to $1,200) per weekend.The Elysee Palace said that Macron and his wife were using private funds to pay for their stay.But the choice of venue was criticised by several French politicians.“Whyis he celebrating his birthday at Chambord?” asked radical-leftfirebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon, quoted in the newspaper Le Figaro, adding:“What a strange idea! I am so republican that everything about royalsymbols exasperates me, I find it ridiculous.”“While the Frenchsuffer from taxes, insecurity, immigration, Macron celebrates his 40thbirthday at Chambord,” right-wing politician Nicolas Dupont-Aignan saidon Twitter. “Eras go by but the oligarchy remains cut off from thepeople.”Commissioned nearly 500 years ago by King Francois I(1494-1547), the immense chateau remains the largest of the Loire grandestates, boasting 365 chimneys and a 5,500-hectare (21sq mile) estate.It also has boasts the largest enclosed forest park in Europe, a long-time favourite for presidential hunts.The chateau, which attracts some 2mn visitors each year, has been listed as a regional Unesco World Heritage cultural site.Macron,a media darling during his campaign, has seen his image as amonarchical or even “pharaonic” leader climb from the night of hiselection, which featured a theatrical production at the foot of theLouvre pyramid in Paris.Several newspapers have also expressedunease over the growing concentration of power in the presidency, andcritics have said his use of executive orders to ram through landmarkreform in September did not help matters.In July, the cover of theleft-wing Liberation newspaper mockingly depicted him as Jupiter, theRoman king of gods, and accused him of failing to share power – anaccusation echoed by Le Monde daily.Jupiter is now regularly used by Macron’s critics who accuse his centrist government of favouring the rich.Yesterdaythe president also visited Beauval Zoo, home to France’s first pandacub, which Brigitte baptised – becoming the fluffy bear’s “godmother” –earlier in the month.Macron, his wife and several relatives went tothe zoo in the Loir-et-Cher region after having lunch at a restaurant innearby village Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, an AFP correspondent said.Brigitte,in one of her most high-profile outings since her husband’s election,cooed over the male cub at a ceremony on December 4 before a Chineseminister unveiled his name as Yuan Meng, which means “making a dreamcome true” in Chinese.The French first lady became “godmother” during the event, along with her Chinese counterpart Peng Liyuan.Theremale cub was the first ever born in France where its mother has been onloan from China since 2012, as part of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy”.Macron’s weekend retreat came as several of his ministers were shown to be millionaires.Figuresreleased on Friday by a body charged with ensuring financialtransparency in politics showed that Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud hadthe largest personal fortune, around €7.5mn ($8.8mn).Penicaud, atthe forefront of Macron’s push to shake up the economy, has beencriticised for a gain made on stock options when she was an executive atfood giant Danone.Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot declared personal wealth of over €7mn and revealed that he owned six cars.The former TV presenter and campaigner has called for France to stop selling petrol and diesel cars by 2040.Careerpoliticians in the government had smaller fortunes, with Prime MinisterEdouard Philippe’s declaration showing €1.7mn and Public FinancesMinister Gerard Darmanin just €48,000.