We all know this famous expression from our history classes. "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" which is the original version of this expression was supposedly said by Queen Marie Antoinette when she was told that peasants had nothing to eat. It is contested whether she actually said these words but whether she did it or not, it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw images of a cake, prepared especially for the President of Azerbaijan's 49th birthday in the country's second largest city- Ganja.
RFE/RL
The President was turning 49 and so the city of Ganja decided to prepare a birthday cake that was 49 meters long (mind you this has been continuing for the last three years with cake getting longer every year by one more meter). It took over a month of preparation and the cake weighted approximately 12 tons. The city officials refused to disclose any information on the amount spent on the cake however, it could be calculated from the amount of ingredients used for the cake (the original version of the article [AZ] can be read here).
RFE/RL
There is an image of an old lady held by the police officers trying to get her share of the cake (apparently people were not allowed anywhere near the cake but were given their shares by the police officers). Sad... But bitter reality... She is most probably, just one of the average pensioners whose life is based on the 75EUR a month and who probably is hungry pretty much most of the time...
She might have never said it but "Let them eat cake" might as well suit these images and the attitude of the authorities in Azerbaijan toward their very own people.
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