Solution:
The maximal number of euros is 2n−n−1.
To begin with, we show that it is possible for the Jury to collect this number of euros. We argue by induction. Let us assume that the Jury can collect Mn euros in a configuration with n contestants. Then we show that the Jury can collect at least 2Mn+n moves in a configuration with n+1 contestants. Indeed, let us begin with all the contestants lined up in reverse order. In the first Mn moves the Jury keeps Cn+1 in first position and reverses the order of the remaining contestants, then in the next n moves all contestants C1,…,Cn (in this order) jump over Cn+1 and end up in the first n positions of the line in reverse order, and finally in the last Mn moves the Jury rearranges the first n positions.
Since M1=0 and Mn+1≥2Mn+n, an easy induction shows that Mn≥2n−n−1.
Let us show now that at most 2n−n−1 moves are possible. To this end, let us identify a line of contestants with a permutation σ of {1,…,n}. To each permutation we associate the set of reverse pairs
R(σ):={(i,j):1≤i<j≤n and σ(i)>σ(j)}
and the nonnegative integer
W(σ):=(i,j)∈R(σ)∑2i
which we call the total weight of the permutation. We claim that the total weight decreases after any move of the contestants. Indeed, let us assume that Ci moves forward in the queue, let σ be the permutation before the move, and let σ′ denote the permutation after the move. Since Ci jumps over exactly i contestants, necessarily she jumps over at least one contestant Cj with index j>i. This means that the pair (i,j) is reverse with respect to σ but not with respect to σ′, and this yields a reduction of 2i in the total weight. On the other hand, the move by Ci can create new reverse pairs of the form (k,i) with k<i, but their total contribution is at most
20+21+…+2i−1=2i−1
In conclusion, when passing from σ to σ′, at least one term 2i disappears from the computation of the total weight, and the sum of all the new terms that might have been created is at most 2i−1. This shows that W(σ′)≤W(σ)−1.
We conclude by observing that the maximum possible value of W(σ) is realized when all pairs are reverse, in which case
W(σ)=i=1∑n(i−1)2i=2n−n−1.
This proves that the number of moves is less than or equal to 2n−n−1, and in particular it is finite.