In “Les infiltrés”, Caroline Michel Aguirre and Matthieu Aron explore the weight of consulting firms on public policies.
In twenty years, they settled in the heart of the state. These dozen consulting firms – mostly American – have infiltrated government departments. In their book, journalists Caroline Michel Aguirre and Matthieu Aron compare this influence to a “creeping putsch” begun under Sarkozy’s five-year term, when he launched his general review of public policies. A trend slowed down under Hollande, then accelerated by Macron, described as “president-consultant”.
This delegation of powers from the State to these consultants would cost between 1.5 and 3 billion euros according to the authors. A figure disputed by the government. “An unfair criticism”, according to Minister Élisabeth Borne. Our administrations would no longer have the skills to conduct certain projects and carry out large-scale audits. Among our Italian and Spanish neighbors and at the Commission in Brussels, the alarm bell has been sounded. “Ministers and senior civil servants must urgently detox from consulting”, conclude our colleagues.
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