The president of the regional council overseeing Paris said he was outraged to find a movie theater charging extra for "premium" seats.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jean-Paul Huchon, president of the regional council for the Ile-de-France region, said he was angered to discover the Pathe Wepler cinema in Paris has been offering "premium" seating in larger armchairs for customers who fork over an extra $2.68, The Local.fr reported Friday.

Huchon said the project is driven by a "principle of segregation."

"Equality of access to culture is unique to France, and it works rather well," Huchon said Thursday in an interview with the left-leaning daily Liberation.

Paris Communist Party politician Ian Brossat also described the "two-speed" cinema as "scandalous."

The Gaumont-Pathe group, which owns the theater, said managers were "responding to the requests of some of the customers" in introducing the "diversification of offers."