France’s New Socialist President Owns Three Vacation Homes In Cannes

Apparently, the whole “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” thing doesn’t really apply to Socialists in France these days:

France’s new Socialist president owns three holiday homes in the glamorous Riviera resort of Cannes, it emerged today.

The 57-year-old who ‘dislikes the rich’ and wants to revolutionise his country with high taxes and an onslaught against bankers is in fact hugely wealthy himself.

His assets were published today in the Official Journal, the gazette which contains verified information about France’s government.

To the undoubted embarrassment to the most left-wing leader in Europe and a man who styles himself as ‘Mr Normal’, they are valued at almost £1million.

It will also reinforce accusations that Hollande is a ‘Gauche Caviar’, or ‘Left-Wing Caviar’ – the Gallic equivalent of a Champagne Socialist.

Among other assets are three current accounts in French banks – two with global giant Societe Generale and one with the Postal Bank – and a life insurance policy.

(…)

Hollande regularly attacked the ‘Bling-Bling’ presidency of Sarkozy, whose multi-millionaire lifestyle with Italian-born heiress Carla Bruni contributed to his humiliating election defeat after just one term in office.

As well as the spacious Paris apartment he shares with his lover Valerie Trierweiler, Hollande owns a palatial villa in Mougins, the prestigious hill-top Cannes suburb where the artist Pablo Picasso used to live.

In case you’re wondering, in French it’s called hypocrisie.

It is valued by the Official Journal at €800,000 (£642,000), and is just a short drive from Hollande’s two flats in the Cannes. They are each priced at €230,000 (£185,000) and €140,000 (£112,000).

FILED UNDER: Europe, World Politics, ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Herb says:

    Doesn’t that mean that everyone gets three vacation homes in Cannes?

  2. PJ says:

    Did Hollande attack Sarkozy’s wealth, his lifestyle, or both?

    if A then it’s hypocritical.
    if B then no.
    if C then it’s hypocritical.

  3. Racehorse says:

    Typical socialist/communist leader.

  4. gVOR08 says:

    The Daily Mail French version of, ‘Al Gore lives in a nice house and flies on airplanes. He’s a hypocrite because he doesn’t live in a cave with no fire and wear a hair shirt.’ Yawn.

  5. al-Ameda says:

    See? Socialists value home ownership too.

    To my knowledge, unlike Mitt Romney, Hollande has not installed a Car Elevator in any of his three vacation homes.

  6. al-Ameda says:

    it is valued by the Official Journal at €800,000 (£642,000), and is just a short drive from Hollande’s two flats in the Cannes. They are each priced at €230,000 (£185,000) and €140,000 (£112,000).

    What I want to know is, how did he manage to find 2 low cost flats in Cannes?

  7. tps says:

    Oh and he appointed his ex, and mother of his children, president of the National Assembly. She was the socialist candidate who Sarkozy defeated in the his first election.

  8. Steve Hynd says:

    @al-Ameda:

    Bingo!

    I call BS from the Dully Male, a conservative tabloid known for it’s exaggeration of the facts.

    The “Villa” is only 1400 square feet – about the same size as my modest family home in Texas – and is the retirement home of Hollande’s father. The two apartments are apparently jointly-owned with others.

  9. Gustopher says:

    There’s a difference between socialism and communism, and a huge difference between mainstream European-style socialism and communism.

  10. sueprdestroyer says:

    @Gustopher:

    I guess this is just another example of do what I say not what I do so that the elite can have more political power.

    Also, it was not that Al Gore lived in a house and flew on airplanes. It was that Al Gore live in a massive house that has a huge environmental footprint and flies on private aircraft that are not as efficient as flying normal commercial. Al Gore also was seen being driven in large SUV with an entourage. Of course, Al Gore was telling the rest of us to live in small houses, ride public transportation, and limit our impact on the environment.

    People have forgotten that the first rule of leadership is to do the same thing that you ask of others.

  11. llama says:

    Doug, unable to have any basic understanding of the relatively conservative Democrat party in the States (vote Republican, we’ll protect “free markets” i.e. redistribute money from the working classes to incumbent business interests and rich people), really has no idea about anything regarding France or French political culture.

  12. kennydp says:

    @tps:

    A neat trick given that that the President of the National Assembly is elected by the assembly and not appointed by the President of the Republic…….

  13. Ebenezer Arvigenius says:

    Apparently, the whole “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” thing doesn’t really apply to Socialists in France these days:

    Unless there is evidence that he hasn’t paid his taxes how is this a contradiction?

  14. grumpy realist says:

    Doug? You’ve quoted from Karl Marx. There’s a difference between Socialism and Marxism. You might want to look up the definitions in the dictionary. Or read some history.