French taxpayers aren’t finding anything funny over the revelation that Francois Hollande’s coiffed mane costs them an arm and a leg.
Satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine reported on Wednesday the French president pays 9,895 euros — more than C$14,000 — every month for a personal hairdresser.
The expense is on par with what a government minister earns per month, according to The New York Times.
According to the BBC, the hairdresser is sworn to secrecy and accompanies Hollande on his foreign trips.
Francois Hollande's popularity has been persistently low. But at least his hair looks great. (Photo: Getty Images)
Stephane Le Foll, a French government spokesman, confirmed the hairstylist's salary but defended it as reasonable. He said the hairdresser is available at all times to the president.
“Everyone has their hair done, don’t they?" he said. "This hairdresser had to abandon his salon and he’s on tap 24 hours a day.”
The hairdresser is so available that he has “missed the births of his children," The Washington Post reports.
'#CoiffeurGate'
The New York Times points out that Hollande himself may have not known how much the hairdresser was getting paid. His former companion, Valérie Trierweiler, said in a tweet that she "can attest to his anger when he learned" about the salary.
Like most politicial scandals, news of Hollande's haircuts' expenses swiftly received a "-gate" suffix. Users on Twitter shared memes and poked fun at the president using the #CoiffeurGate hashtag.
In April, Hollande's popularity dropped to a record low, according to The Independent. And the hair debacle won't likely help with that.
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