According to this report, the consulting expenditure of the ministries increased from 379.1 million euros in 2018, to 893.9 million euros in 2021.
In response to fears of a dependence of the public authorities on certain consulting firms, the Minister of Transformation and the Civil Service Amélie de Montchalin recalled that "no consulting firm has decided on any reform and the decision is up to always in the state".
"We did not divest ourselves of our responsibilities," she said.
The practice is according to her "widespread", "usual" and "useful" in the "majority of cases".
More specifically, the McKinsey firm, in the spotlight because accused of not having paid corporate taxes in France between 2011 and 2020, represents 5% of state strategy consulting expenditure, detailed Mr. Dussopt.
And the government represents 5% of McKinsey's turnover, he added.
"McKinsey's tax situation is protected by tax secrecy, our services have carried out a control operation at the end of 2021", said Minister Dussopt, refusing to comment on the outcome or the possible consequences of this control.
"There is nothing to hide", insisted Olivier Dussopt, who hammered that the State had shown "transparency" by answering questions from the Senate commission of inquiry on the growing influence of consulting firms. private.
“All the rules of public procurement have been respected,” added Amélie de Montchalin.
If "the State assumes perfectly to use consulting firms in certain circumstances", it admits that improvements are necessary, according to the minister.
A new doctrine for the use of consultants was defined last January to ensure that the public services did not have the skills in-house before resorting to consulting firms.
Amélie de Montchalin wants to "rearm the State to strengthen internal skills" and plans from 2022 to "reduce by at least 15% the use of external consulting services".
The Minister of Transformation and the Public Service Amélie de Montchalin during a press conference on March 30, 2022 in Paris Eric PIERMONT AFP
The Senate inquiry committee estimated after the press conference that the government continued to "minimize the influence of consultants".
She underlines that this government communication exercise in the premises of Bercy "ten days before the first round", "has not removed all the gray areas".
"The fiasco of McKinsey's mission on the future of the teaching profession", "the distribution of contracts during the health crisis" or the use of the McKinsey firm despite doubts about its tax situation are all examples of a “opacity” which reinforces “the climate of mistrust”, deplore the senators of the commission of inquiry in a press release.
© 2022 AFP