Decryption
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In a work published this fall, the political scientist Julie Gervais, the historian Claire Lemercier and the sociologist Willy Pelletier decipher the mechanisms of “civil servant bashing”, at a time when public officials are called upon to mobilize in particular against an increase in waiting days imposed in the event of sick leave.
Does France, a country where attachment to public services is evident, hate the people who provide these services? In a work published this fall by Editions Amsterdam, Julie Gervais, political scientist (Paris-I), Claire Lemercier, historian (CNRS), and Willy Pelletier, sociologist (University of Picardie) dive into the heart of what they call “hatred of civil servants” (1). “Everyone knows the equation,” bluntly warns the back cover: “Civil servants = lazy = not profitable = annoying = protected = profiteers = archaic = useless = to be compressed”. But where does it come from? “its incredible power of evidence”, who regularly shines in political and media speeches?
Thus Valérie Pécresse, campaigning for the 2022 presidential election, who promised and still defends the establishment of a “axe committee”. Or Guillaume Kasbarian, the current Minister of the Civil Service, who congratulates Elon Musk, just charged by Donald Trump with “dismantle government bureaucracy” in the United States.
Plus decisions like that consisting, in the draft budget for 2025, of
France
