• Published in the Official Journal on Sunday, decree n ° 2022-561 of April 16, 2022 modifies the status of diplomats, who become “State administrators”, in the same way as prefects or finance inspectors.

  • This reform is not new: it was included in the reform of the senior civil service promised by Emmanuel Macron in 2017.

  • If the reform has the advantage of allowing senior civil servants to change paths during their career, it makes its opponents fear the end of “professional” diplomacy.

If they were presented as reception organizers in a famous advertisement of the 1990s, ambassadors above all have a key political and economic role in international relations.

But an earthquake shook the world of French diplomacy with the publication in

the Official Journal

of a decree on Sunday April 17, which scandalized many personalities on social networks, including presidential candidates Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen, but also Ségolène Royal, Eric Ciotti or former diplomats, like Gérard Araud ex-ambassador of France in the United States (2014-2019).

“Official journal: suppression of the diplomatic corps.

France saw its diplomatic network destroyed after several centuries.

The 2nd in the world.

Promo buddies will be able to be named.

Immense sadness, “says the candidate of rebellious France indignantly.

To better understand what is happening,

20 Minutes

takes stock.

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Trained at the (late) ENA (replaced by the National Institute of Public Service since January 1, 2022), diplomats are senior civil servants who report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They generally complete their entire career in this way and form the diplomatic corps.

But decree n° 2022-561 of April 16, 2022, the last stage of the reform of the senior civil service promised by Emmanuel Macron in 2017, signs the "extinction of the bodies of foreign affairs advisers and plenipotentiary ministers".

The “termination of the corps” means that no more recruitment will be carried out.

Also, diplomats will lose their status and become "State administrators", a status "with an interministerial vocation" created by decree n ° 2021-1550 of December 1, 2021, in the same way as prefects, sub-prefects or even financial inspectors.

What does it change ?

The status of State administrator is a revolution among senior civil servants.

Previously, when a graduate left the ENA, he chose, according to his classification, a path towards which to direct his career, an almost definitive choice: the ministries, an inspection service, the Council of State, the Court of Auditors, administrative justice, etc.

Choosing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the path that led to diplomacy and eventually to the post of ambassador.

With a whole career at the Quai d'Orsay, the diplomats were true professionals, seasoned and the appointments were made by the President of the Republic in the Council of Ministers, according to the experience and the rank in the hierarchy of the diplomat.

If a few appointments created a stir, this tradition was generally respected.

With this reform, it will be possible for senior civil servants to move from the post of prefect to ambassador, then from ambassador to Councilor of State, subject to training for each transfer.

It is on this point that the critics of the reform, including Gérard Araud, denounce a suppression of "professional" diplomacy, since a senior civil servant could obtain a post of diplomat after having spent his career in another corps of the State.

Amélie de Montchalin, Minister of Transformation and the Public Service of France, justified, several months ago already on Public Sénat, the government's desire to encourage senior civil servants to change careers, to allow them to know more "in the field", and to ensure that men and women are "evaluated on their results".

But some fear arrangements, believing that the President of the Republic will be able to appoint a political ally, a former minister or a collaborator more easily.

This is particularly the criticism made by Marine Le Pen, opponent of Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the presidential election: “He wants to replace impartial state servants with cronyism.

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  • fake-off

  • Reform

  • Public service

  • Ambassador

  • Diplomacy

  • Amelie de Montchalin

  • Presidential election 2022