A recent study carried out by an Italian economic development group puts a cost on the bloated French bureaucracy, the most expensive in Europe.

However, whilst ‘France’ and ‘bureaucracy’ may be words that many would consider inter-changeable, the study shows the UK is not far behind in the costs of its civil service.

Thus, whilst public administration costs each taxpayer in France €5,765 a year, it costs each UK taxpayer no less than €5,182. Indeed, it is only the level of debt interest in Italy that pushes the UK into third place, as salary and associated costs in the UK are not far behind France.

Germany has the largest population in Europe, yet its public service salary costs are around 45% less than France.

Around one in four of the population in France are civil servants.

The following table shows public service salary costs, as well as general administration costs, and the interest costs of the national debt.

Administration Costs (€'000s) Per Taxpayer

Italy arrives in third place in direct civil service costs, but as it carries the highest national debt burden in Europe, its total public administration costs are close to that of France.

President Sarkozy has made no secret of his desire to roll back the French State, so it remains to be seen how the figures will compare in five years time, when his Presidency is due to end.