François Bayrou: what assessment does the head of government display after 4 years at the head of the High Commission for Planning?

Since Thursday December 12, 2024, François Bayrou has been the new Prime Minister of France, succeeding Michel Barnier, overthrown by a historic motion of censure. But before joining Matignon, the mayor of Pau held several political positions during his career, including that of High Commissioner for Planning since September 2020.

The High Commission for Planning (HCP), created by General de Gaulle in 1946, aims to inform public choices on long-term issues, as info.gouv.fr specifies: it is ” “lead and coordinate planning and prospective thinking work”. So, what assessment does the new head of government display after 4 years at the head of this institution?

Ambitions displayed upon his arrival

François Bayrou, upon his arrival, displayed strong ambition. Before the deputies of the Economic Affairs Committee in December 2020, he declared that he wanted to “root decisions in 10, 20 or 30 years in the public debate”.

Recurring criticisms of the results

But criticism will quickly rain down on the real effectiveness of the structure. During a debate organized in the Senate in April 2023, at the initiative of the environmental group, several elected officials pointed out the absence of concrete translation of the work into real planning.

In the National Assembly, a report from the finance committee, written by Marie-Christine Dalloz (LR), shared this perplexity: “The special rapporteur doubts the real impact of the opinions of the High Commissioner for Planning in the public debate .”

In response, François Bayrou defended himself in the media, recalling that “the Plan has always had difficult relations with governments”, reluctant to accept an intrusion into their prerogatives according to him.

A modest budget for limited results

Despite everything, HCP remains “inexpensive”. With an operating budget of 1.9 million euros for 2023 and 2024, as well as a team equivalent to almost 14 people working full time, the organization has published a total of 18 strategic notes and three additional reports, according to a senatorial report presented in September by Christopher Szczurek, senator from the National Rally.

“The vast majority of the strategic notes produced by the HCP are indistinguishable from the work of other administrative bodies,” criticizes the senator in his note. The relevance of this organization then remains in question. While some hoped for an institution capable of relaunching public planning, its productions seem to struggle to assert themselves in the political debate and influence decisions.

In short, if the long-term vision displayed by François Bayrou was attractive on paper, the results failed to convince parliamentarians and public opinion. The president of MoDem now hopes to reverse the trend in Matignon.