Undoubtedly the Inspection has lost its superb

Reports on the debt of the State, hospital expenses, schedules of teachers... The General Inspection of Finance (IGF) has repeatedly played the role of the listener, but was never made in the costume of the auditee. It is now made. Named end of 2005 at the head of this somewhat particular service of the Ministry of economy and finance, Jean-Pierre Jouyet has indeed decided to open the doors to the consultants of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The firm also offered a very competitive price for this contract. Evidence, if there were need, that the network set up by some 250 inspectors finance activity, cream of "the énarchie", is worth of gold...

If the IGF now feels the need to reflect on itself, it is that she was not badly rocked in recent years. Jean-Yves Haberer antics at the head of Credit Lyonnais. Inordinate ambitions of Jean-Marie Messier and Michel Bon to the commands of France Telecom and Vivendi Universal. Not to mention the quasifaillite of Alstom and eviction Pierre Bilger insensitively... Of shelled scandals in 2004 by journalist Ghislaine Ottenheimer in his book "The Intouchables", which the profile will not little done to undermine the image of the "caste".

Bastilles lost

"The IGF caused great harm in not is autorégulant not, as has been so well the corps of Mines", said Marie-Christine Kessler, Director of research at CNRS. Undoubtedly, the Inspection has lost its superb. Even his attraction to students of the ENA (see box). From 1986 to 1995, she had been selected 8 times by major of promotion, the Council of State 2 times; from 1996 to 2005, she was chosen 4 times and Council 6. And, again this year, promoting Simone Veil, Alexandre Lallet, major took the path of the Palais-Royal, the first student to opt for Inspection is classified "that" fifth...

In the eyes of Luc Rouban, Centre for the study of life political French (Cevipof), a page has turned. "The golden age of the Inspectorate of finance, linchpin of the modernization of the French economy after the second world war, is well and truly over." In the 1990s opened a period of crisis, linked at the end of the administered economy and the growing competition of civil administrators, including in the Ministry of economy and finance, which Inspection ensures virtually no coaching. "They have abandoned or it may catch them, the fact is that the inspectors are less and less at the head of the major directions of the Minefi. Taxes, public accounting, budget...: all these Bastilles are now in the hands of simple civil administrators. A finding that Jean-Pierre Jouyet does not fail to put into perspective, recalling that the IGF maintains still "three key positions" Bercy: direction of the Treasury with Xavier Musca, the General Secretariat with management of the Office of the Minister with Gilles Grapinet and Jean Bassères.

The company, a natural outlet

But it would be well reducing measure the influence of this great body to the only yardstick of its presence in his Department of origin, and even in any administration. Because, for the IGF, the natural outlet was always the company. Public, yesterday. Private, today. Jean-Pierre Jouyet is to "maintain a certain balance between output in the private and the public" ensure, but cannot prevent its teams pantouflent more than the average of senior officials: while 18 of the enarques are working in the private sector, this proportion is about 45 for finance inspectors. Would still be higher if it did not take into account the approximately 70 of them who work within the service, including half of Inspectors General at the end of career and other beginner required to exercise their profession of Inspector for four years.

As soon as completed four years of "tour", in which they were sent check the good management of services devolved through the France, the rising stars of the Inspection leave therefore live their lives. Where want them: "Everyone chooses the way he wants," insists Pierre Cuneo, the number three of the service, which is a fundamental element of the culture House. Suddenly, the IGF extends its tentacles virtually everywhere. Unsurprisingly, it is in finance found the bigger battalions. Insurers such as Henri de Castries, bankers as Michel Pébereau, Baudouin Prot, or Daniel button, or even investment bankers Bertrand Badré (Lazard), Jean-Marc Forneri (Bucephalus), Philippe Lagayette (JP Morgan), François Pérol (Rothschild), Philippe Villin (Philippe Villin Council) , the inspectors are also many financial managers: six of the CAC 40 groups have an inspector for financier, which is also the case of the CDCThe position and the SNCF. But no function or no House is closed, Radio-France (Jean-Paul Cluzel) at the Louvre (Aline Sylla), passing through Canal (Alexandre Joubert-Bompard), FNAC (Bruno Crémel) and Casino (Jean-Charles Naouri). So it is true that finance Inspection leads to everything. Is out.