State cuts private consulting spend by 78% as election debate revives outsourcing issue

Recent figures attached to the 2027 finance bill indicate that France’s spending on private consulting firms has fallen by 78% since 2021, reflecting a concerted effort to rationalise public budgets. The decline is linked to a January 2022 circular issued by former Prime Minister Jean Castex, which instructed ministries to reduce external contracts amid growing public scepticism. As the 2027 presidential election approaches, the issue has resurfaced in campaign rhetoric: Raphaël Gluskmann, winner of the social-democratic primary and leader of the Place publique movement, vows to end the state’s dependence on consultants through tighter regulation, while La France insoumise calls for a prohibition of subcontracting and price-gouging, a position previously voiced by Jean-Luc Mélenchon in 2022.

The data suggest the phenomenon is less pervasive than earlier Senate investigations had warned, though political opponents continue to use it as a rallying point. The debate highlights broader concerns over transparency, cost-effectiveness, and the role of private expertise in shaping public policy.