French PM agrees to refund cost of jet trip to watch UCL

Amid protests from government opposition parties, that he took a government jet to watch a Champions League match last Saturday, France’s Prime Minister, Manuel Valls says he would pay back part of the cost for the trip.
Valls has come under intense pressure after it emerged he used a government jet to transport himself and his two sons to Berlin on Saturday for the final between Barcelona and Juventus.
“Since this was an official trip, I used the means available to a prime minister,” said Valls.
“But I am of course sensitive to the reaction of the French people and I have to behave in a completely rigorous way. If the chance came up again, I wouldn’t do it again,” admitted Valls.
“And to remove any doubt, I have decided to pay the costs for my two children, amounting to 2,500 euros ($2,800),” added the prime minister.
A Barcelona native and fan of the team which won the match 3-1, Valls has insisted that he was there at the official invitation of Michel Platini, the head of the UEFA body that runs European football.
But his image has been severely tarnished by the episode, with more than three out of four French people saying they were “shocked” by the trip, which cost up to 15,000 euros according to government sources.
A jubilant opposition has seized on the trip to denounce Valls as a prime minister out of touch with the daily reality of the French people.

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