Louis de Raguenel 06h17, March 31, 2022
The government tried to clear up the controversy on Wednesday evening around the consulting firms working for the executive.
Two problems are pointed out: these consulting firms pay little tax in France thanks to tax optimization mechanisms and raise questions about the use of these firms by an administration.
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Why does Emmanuel Macron use these consulting firms when he has an administration supposed to do this work?
This is one of the points raised by the controversy surrounding the American firm McKinsey, solicited by the French State with numerous contracts.
What poses a problem is the "systematic" recourse to these firms as soon as a crisis arises with consultants who, often, have known during their studies the political decision-makers who make them work.
Hence the suspicions of conflicts of interest or even porosity which fuel the controversy.
Civil servants who find it hard to find the lack of confidence in politicians
The subject is not new: for twenty years, all governments have used consulting firms.
Their missions: to carry out reforms such as that of the APL or even to reorganize the health service of the armies in 2018. To defend themselves, the politicians explain that these firms are able to provide, in a very short time, work that would take an infinite time. if it was carried out by their own administrations.
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And unsurprisingly, the civil servants take it badly.
They deplore the lack of confidence of the politicians who lead them.
This is the heart of the problem because civil servants do what the politicians decide.
If the politicians do not run their administration, then it is they who take power.
This is why since the election of Nicolas Sarkozy, several candidates have mentioned their wish to install a French-style spoiler system, ie the possibility of placing loyal supporters of the president in place of those in place.
A technique to appoint, the day after their election, all the senior officials who will apply their policy.
To date, many have promised, none have.