France releases official data on corporate aid and public sector pay

The French government has released its first official figures regarding public aid to businesses, estimating that between 60 billion and 166 billion euros were distributed in 2024. This disclosure follows a controversial Senate report that estimated the total at 211 billion euros. The discrepancy in figures is largely attributed to the government's calculation excluding approximately 41 billion euros in aid provided by the public investment bank Bpifrance.

In a separate report annexed to the 2027 budget, the State Participation Agency revealed that executives of public or semi-public companies are frequently exceeding the theoretical annual compensation cap of 450,000 euros set in 2012. This is achieved by serving as CEOs in companies where the state holds less than 50% ownership. Notable high earners include Airbus executive Guillaume Faury, whose total compensation including shares reached several million euros.