Court of Audit (France)

Cour des comptes is the name for the French Court of Auditors. This has since 1912 established in the Palais Cambon (built 1898-1912 ) in the same street in the 1st arrondissement of Paris.

The Court goes back to an edict of the French king Philip V ( Ordonnance de Pontoise ) from the year 1318. This makes it one of the oldest and most powerful institutions of the French central government.

The head of the Court has held the title first president. From July 21, 2004 this was until 6 January 2010, the former parliamentary speaker Philippe Séguin ( he died of a heart attack). He was succeeded by Didier Migaud (* 1952); He was appointed by former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Traditionally, the best graduates of the elite university ENA apply to the Audit Office to begin her career as Inspecteur des Finances.

The Palais Cambon

With the establishment of representative building in place of the former monastery of the Couvent des Filles de l' Assomption, remained from the only preserve the church, as winners emerged from a competition in 1898, architect Constant Moyaux († 1911) was commissioned. After his death, his colleague Paul Guadet continued the work. The inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of the then President Armand Fallières on October 16, 1912.

The building was expanded after the Second World War. The large main staircase is a listed building since 1979; the facades, roof sections and different interiors (2nd floor) since 1993.

History

Philippe Séguin was appointed by then- President Jacques Chirac; on a proposal by Nicolas Sarkozy. In 2007, Sarkozy offered him after his election to the presidency of Minister in the Cabinet of Prime Minister François Fillon to become. Séguin refused to do so, preferring to remain President of the Cour des Comptes.

In May and June 2012, there was a historic change of government: For the first time since 1981 (François Mitterrand ) again was a Socialist President; the Socialists gained the majority in the National Assembly. François Hollande ordered after taking office to a Kassensturz by the Court of Auditors. 2012 alone, missing, according to the Commission ( 2 July 2012 ) in the household six to ten billion euros; However, the government wishes to meet its international obligations saving. 2013 even need 33 billion euros to be cut in the planned government expenditures in order not to exceed the then current general deficit limit of 3.0 percent of GDP.