The project to regulate the use of private consulting firms, announced on Thursday July 28, “does not contain a number of measures relating to ethics which must be enshrined in the hard law”deplores on franceinfo the senator of the French Communist Party (PCF) Éliane Assassi, rapporteur of the commission of inquiry into the influence of private consulting firms on public policies.
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franceinfo: Does the framework for the use of private consulting firms announced by Minister Stanislas Guérini take up what you recommend?
Eliane Assassi: I met Stanislas Guérini a few days ago with President Arnaud Bazin and I regret to learn from the press about this framework agreement. We worked, we produced a report signed by all the political groups of the Senate and we learn in the middle of the summer of the elements on this framework agreement: the method is debatable. On the basis of what I have been able to read of this agreement: the “Castex circular”, which we had described as a “wall of paper” because it was not binding and which promised a 15% reduction in the appeal to private practices, has not been followed. If I understood correctly, we would now be down 13%, so already below. I also remind you that a framework agreement is not the law. For example, the framework agreement does not contain a number of measures relating to ethics which, in my opinion, must be enshrined in the hard law.
Do you think that the use of consulting firms is useful for the public service?
No. That we have recourse to consulting firms on very specific missions that cannot be assumed by civil servants, we can discuss it. But I have a very high regard for civil servants and I know that there are very competent ones who are capable of taking on a certain number of missions.
“We need to have a map of what can be done within our administration before calling on private firms.”
Éliane Assassi, PCF Senatorat franceinfo
I’m pretty open on the subject. Moreover, the cap at two million does not call into question what is called the push-button effect for resorting to private practices. Nothing tells us that a mission from one consulting firm could not be entrusted again to another, and this several times. If it’s ten times two million, that’s 20 million euros per board.
Do you find that there is a form of culture or reflex to use consulting firms today?
This is exactly the idea of the “press-button” effect: as soon as there is a problem, rather than looking to see if the skills exist within the administration, we call on a private firm. I think our bill puts an end to this system. It will be presented to the Senate – since the Prime Minister has not deigned to reply to our letter – in ordinary session in October. It will allow a debate. I am very open to any other proposal, but we have tried to offer a relatively balanced device.