French financial watchdogs slammed Nicolas Sarkozy for spending £160m during his country’s six-month stint in charge of the EU – including £250,000 on a personal presidential shower that he never used. The vast expense is set out in a report blaming poor management and a lack of transparency by the president’s staff.
Costs soared because so many of the EU-related events were organised at the last minute, said the report.
On one occasion Sarkozy triggered the cancellation of an entire EU event he was due to host in Evian, because he wanted to sleep in his own bed at the Élysée palace. By then, hundreds of journalists, EU officials and national delegations had either already arrived in Evian or were on their way.
Golly. The shower must have been made of gold. I’d have thought you could get a golden shower much cheaper than that in Paris. 
A very small shower, surely.
That explains why they’re so frivolous.
It isn’t there money so they waste it. The classic problem with people in power.
The answer is obvious. He didn’t use it… it was installed so he could watch his smokin’ hot wife use it.
250 grand on a shower I can almost believe, but… a shower for a Frenchman?!! Please! They should have smelled the scam half a mile away.
[The article does say he didn't actually use the shower - ed.]
And they are trying to expand the bureaucrat class with the Lisbon Treaty.
Of cause he didn’t use the shower he is a Frenchman?
Don’t worry, it’s a socialist country and that was payed with taxes. No biggie.
#6 This is a perfect reason why government (and taxes) should be expanded, don’t you think?
More fun from the unelected EU bureaucratic aristocracy.
#8, ‘dro and #9, Angus,
Sarcozy is a Conservative. He is also the elected President, not a bureaucrat.
I can imagine the uproar if he had of been a Socialist.
#10 I missed when Sarcozy changed the whole French economic model. Your affirmation is as dumb as saying that there is no socialized health care in France ’cause Sarcozy is conservative.
Governments suffer from principle-agent problems? crazy.
#7 You beat me to it !
Obviously it’s not the shower…
“Hide the boots…”
Sarcozy’s pretty funny for a french politician, but for real big laughs I suggest that italian comedian Berlusconi!
But seriously folks, whenever there’s taxpayers money being spent there’s always someone in the position to get a secret little ‘comission’ on the deal. Doesn’t matter where you go, what political system is in place, or what values those systems represent, it’s the same everywhere. I seriously doubt Sarcozy was in a position to personally take advantage of the purchase of this shower no matter how expensive it is. It is however the traditional method for paying off political debts by putting people in the position of administering said purchases.
Geez, he makes our (California’s) former Assembly speaker, Fabian Nunez look like a piker!