French taxpayers are footing the bill once again—this time for 165 decommissioned buses handed over to Tunisia, courtesy of the Île-de-France region and state-owned RATP.
Le Journal du Dimanche says the latest delivery of 85 vehicles arrived in Tunis on 25 June, following an earlier batch in April, in what the French Treasury describes as a gesture of “sustainable and inclusive mobility.”
But for many ordinary citizens, this “gift” is a slap in the face. With rural areas and overseas territories still struggling with poor public transport, critics are asking why French infrastructure is being stripped for foreign benefit. “We’re short of buses in our own countryside and they’re giving them away abroad,” wrote one user on X.
Another quipped bitterly, “It’s free—Nicolas is paying,” referencing the now-viral symbol of the overtaxed, under-served French citizen who is tired of funding a failing welfare state and unchecked immigration while seeing no return.
The RATP claims the buses—used during the 2024 Paris Paralympics and stripped of seats—were too old to operate in France and costly to recycle. But the public isn’t convinced. “Traitors to the nation,” read one comment. “France, the most generous country in the world—for everyone but the French,” mocked another.
Tunisia, meanwhile, has also purchased 300 brand-new buses from China—raising questions about why France is expected to donate what others sell.
This isn’t the first time France has shipped off public transport. To many, it’s yet another sign that the French state puts foreigners first.
