A French exception among Western democracies

In an article that starts with a couple of paragraphs on France's secret presidential hideaway (the domaine de Souzy-la-Briche), Raphaëlle Bacqué and Ariane Chemin point out that Jacques Chirac has enjoyed the same secrets (i.e., perks) as his predecessor, François Mitterrand: the same secrets concerning his residences, the same secrets concerning the state of his health, the same secrets concerning his family, the same secrets concerning his encounters. And, of course, the same secret costs (such as those of the Elysée) that are unknown to the country's citizens (and taxpayers).

Une exception française parmi les démocraties occidentales.

Update: what is highly ironic is that in Chemin's chat interview, she comes out (in her next-to-last reply) against "total transparency," for "we know what that leads to: totalitarianism." (Honey, you've been reading too much of your own newspaper…)