FRANCE
Photo: Patrick Hertzog
France’s elite training school for Public Servants, the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) is facing a decline in applications and has resorted to advertising for students for the first time since its inception more than 70 years ago.
Some officials, including former graduates of the ENA, are saying it has outlived its usefulness and should be scrapped.
Applications for about 110 places in each year have plunged from about 20,000 to 13,000 over the past decade, marking a sea change in attitudes.
Vincent Jauvert, author of a book about top PS employees inhabiting France’s corridors of power, says the appeal of the Public Service — long seen as controlling France — is diminishing in favour of careers in the private sector.
“ENA has long been criticised, and now perhaps more than ever, by its own graduates who are in power,” Mr Jauvert said.
“Also, you’re less well paid in the public sector, at least when you’re young, than in the private sector.”
The former spin doctor of previous French President François Hollande and an ENA graduate, Gaspard Gantzer said the school’s teaching methods were outdated.
“We weren’t really pushed to think for ourselves, to be creative, to reflect, to imagine what could be the role of the state tomorrow,” Mr Gantzer said.
Director of the Strasbourg-based academy, Patrick Gérard acknowledged the ENA needed more applications.
“We want to see an increase in the number of candidates, but even more important than the number is diversity,” Mr Gérard said.
“We would like more young people from poorer backgrounds, women and people who already work in the private sector.”
ENA has posted video advertisements on its website, asking prospective students: “Would you like to be an artist — of public management?”
“Do you dream of becoming an actor — of public policy?”
“A career as a pilot — of European projects? Take the plunge — apply to ENA.”
Paris, 8 April 2018
