The Court of Auditors launched its second citizen campaign on Wednesday allowing everyone to suggest proposals for financial control, now opening this possibility to 15/18 year olds.
This campaign is part of the range of instruments intended to cure our country of this kind of disease of languor, indifference or democratic revolt which sometimes seems to grip it, as First President Pierre Moscovici commented to the press.
New this year, the proposals may also relate to local subjects, and be dealt with by the regional chambers who wish to take them up, and the platform will therefore be open to 15/18 year olds, to take into account the new law establishing the numerical majority 15 years, according to Pierre Moscovici. It is also about informing citizens in a time conducive to fake news, he added.
The Court will publish the topics it has chosen on January 3, 2024 – at least six, indicated Pierre Moscovici – and the reports will be published from October to December next year.
To be selected, the themes must be new, in the field of the financial competences of the Court, and popular without being spectacular, specified Pierre Moscovici.
In 2022, 43,000 people visited the platform that can be consulted on the Court of Auditors’ website, 9,000 took part in the consultation and 333 audit proposals were submitted.
Of the six themes selected, two have already been the subject of reports, one on the use by the State of consulting firms, which receive a lot of media coverage, another on hunters’ federations, which is more technical according to Pierre Moscovici, who wanted these reports have a format that is more accessible to citizens than the classic reports of the Court.
Two others, on equality between women and men, and on the detection of personal tax evasion, are in the process of being published.
Still to come is a report on the medical interim, and another on the inclusive school, which will be the subject of a public policy evaluation.
The participants in the first campaign were often members of a fairly organized civil society, of interest groups, admitted Pierre Moscovici who wanted to see the participation figures increase very significantly.
In addition to the press and social networks, the Heritage Days, September 16 and 17, will be an opportunity to publicize the consultation. For young people, a video will be shown in schools that have a priority education agreement with Sciences Po.