French ministers ordered to stay home for holidays

Anyone who's been in Paris in August will know that the city goes dead while everyone seeks out the sun. 

 

Normally that includes the politicians too, but not this year.

 

Faced with a slew of terror attacks in recent months, a woeful economy, and an election in a year's time, President Francois Hollande has told his top team that a long holiday break is out of the question, reported Le Point newspaper.

 

After all, it wouldn't look very good if there was another attack and the top brass were known to be soaking up the sun on a yacht on the French Riviera. 

 

While Hollande himself will manage to get away to attend the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics and Environment Minister Ségolène Royal will be off to the Arctic Circle for research – the rest won't be so lucky. 

 

In fact, it seems none of them will even leave France, government spokesman Stephane Le Foll told Europe 1. 

 

Top ministers including Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas and Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will all be expected to be there in person for weekly meetings at the Élysée Palace in Paris, the channel reported.

 

With trips abroad cancelled among the group, the most exciting getaways for the ministers include a few days in Provence for Valls, Cazeneuve heading north of Paris for a mini-escape, and Urvoas potentially finding the sun while inspecting some prisons along the French Riviera. 

 

Other top ministers have announced plans to travel within France's borders, including a camping trip for Axelle Lemaire, the deputy minister for digital affairs, and a visit to Touquet in northern France for Minister of Economy Emmanuel Macron.