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 Official newspaper of one decree on Sunday, April 17which 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, such as 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, thus indignant the candidate of rebellious France. To better understand what is happening, 20 minutes make the point.
FAKE OFF
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 interministerial vocation” created by the decree n°2021-1550 of December 1, 2021in the same way as prefects, sub-prefects or even finance 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 Senatethe government’s desire to encourage senior civil servants to change careers, to allow them to know more about “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. »