France

France falls into the lower-middle ranks internationally (rank 21) with respect to vertical accountability.

Political competition in France is open and not systematically biased. Candidate financial activities must be reported, and are overseen by a national commission. Political parties and candidates range from the far left to the extreme right. Electoral swings are common.

Voting rights are fully guaranteed to all citizens aged 18 and older, and registration is easy. Elections are well-organized, usually running smoothly and transparently. There is no independent electoral management body. The majoritarian system tends to underrepresent minorities.

France’s party system has weakened substantially, especially after the 2017 political upheaval that favored Macron’s movement. Collaboration between parties has been the exception rather than the rule. Access to public information is guaranteed by law, with some restrictions.

France scores relatively poorly in international comparison (rank 26) with regard to diagonal accountability.

The French media system is lively and supports public debate. The public media have a history of critical reporting, but recent appointments have cast a shadow over their independence. There is no evidence of effective government censorship. Private media concentration, especially under billionaire Vincent Bolloré, has raised pluralism concerns.

Associations can be simply created. Groups that provoke violence can be dissolved. Business associations are influential, and are capable of formulating policy proposals and lobbying the government. Unions have low membership rates and are politically divided. The Macron government has reduced economic organizations’ involvement in policymaking.
Social welfare organizations have limited influence on policymaking.

Environmental groups have shown some power to mobilize against public projects, but have not achieved substantial success in influencing government policies.

In the category of horizontal accountability, France falls into the sample’s middle ranks (rank 17).

The Court of Auditors that monitors public spending is powerful, independent and highly prestigious. The data protection authority is also independent, with the power to issue warnings and fines. The Constitutional Court reviews draft laws for constitutionality, though only high-ranking officials can refer cases.

Civil rights in France are generally well protected. The government has resorted to long-lasting emergency powers after terrorist attacks. A crackdown on religious symbols in public has almost exclusively targeted the Muslim population. Corruption in politics remains a problem, with campaign finance scandals continuing to occur.

The parliament lacks a substantive research unit. While investigation rights exist, executive powers often evade scrutiny. Macron’s minority government has often resorted to passing legislation without majority support, diminishing parliament’s power to participate in policymaking.

France falls into the upper-middle ranks internationally (rank 12) in the area of coordination.

Government coordination is strongly centralized, with close collaboration between the President’s Office and the Prime Minister’s Office. The presidential office often initiates bills, and both offices have large staffs engaged in government oversight functions.

Line ministers have limited independence. Government coordination is tightly managed, and informal consultations are frequently held to ensure coherence in communication. To win support for proposals, line ministries must liaise with related ministries and agencies.

Though devolution has been ongoing for several decades, local governments in France have limited resources. State-region contracts are used to set goals and performance indicators. Mechanisms for national-local consultation remain underdeveloped, relying on ad hoc consultations rather than formal structures.

France performs relatively poorly in international comparison (rank 23) with regard to consensus-building.

The top levels of the administration are highly elitist, and tend to marginalize input by outside experts. Use of research is mostly opportunistic except when expert opinions are generated in-house.

Macron’s government has regarded social partner organizations as being defenders of the status quo, and has not engaged in meaningful social consultation. Consequently, capital and labor groups have not been strongly involved in the policymaking process.

The government has not regularly included social welfare or environmental associations in the policymaking process. More radical environmental actions such as occupations and blockades have been met with strict police actions. The country is a trendsetter in providing access to public data, and in data reuse.

France falls into the lower-middle ranks internationally (rank 18) with respect to sensemaking.

The central government has a strong strategic foresight apparatus, with various services attached to the Prime Minister’s Office. The France Stratégie unit develops future scenarios, while specialized agencies the issues of pensions, employment and the economy.

Despite some interest in regulatory impact assessments (RIAs), there is no systematic process in place. Evaluations of public policies are mostly optional. France Stratégie has produced guidelines for evaluating policy impact, but they are rarely followed. The long-term France 2030 strategy has a sustainability focus, but also entails limited use of RIA.

Ex post evaluations have been more commonly used, but are not systematically applied unless required by law. In recent decades, the Court of Accounts has shifted away from a purely legal focus and begun evaluating existing policies from political, social, economic and financial perspectives.

France falls into the sample’s upper-middle ranks (rank 11) in the category of economic sustainability.

In 2015, the state set the goal of transitioning to a circular economy, but progress is slow, with little monitoring. Decarbonization of the energy sector is a key target for the green transition strategy. However, the composition of the energy mix has not changed much in the last decade.

The labor market has traditionally been seen as rigid. Macron has introduced reforms intended to increase flexibility and mobility. Employment rates have risen, and unemployment rates have fallen but remain high by international standards. Unemployment benefits are generous.

Tax rates for individuals and businesses are high. The system is highly redistributive. The state has run budget deficits since 1973, generally above 3%. Macron has tried to limit deficits, but no recent government has credibly sought budget balance. Attempts to impose carbon taxes have faced strong public opposition, as seen with the “yellow vest” movement.

France performs well in international comparison (rank 7) with regard to social sustainability.

Public expenditure on education is above the OECD average. Students performed slightly below the OECD average in the 2022 PISA study, with socioeconomic status strongly influencing student performance. Ongoing reforms have created some instability in the education system, especially in secondary education.

The welfare state in France is generous. Social transfers significantly reduce poverty. Housing costs and access are concerns, especially for migrants. The high-quality healthcare system provides good access to care, with low out-of-pocket payments. The pension system is generous, but faces persistent deficits even after reforms.

Gender equality has improved, but the gender wage gap persists. Childcare is affordable, but there is a shortage of facilities. Schooling is mandatory as of the age of three. Integration of second- and even third-generation immigrants has been a challenge. Right-wing parties have exploited the immigration issue, and have thereby helped shape the political agenda.

France receives high rankings in international comparison (rank 8) in the area of environmental sustainability.

A reliance on nuclear energy has led to relatively low CO2 emissions. Laws passed in 2019 aim for climate neutrality by 2050 and a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030. Independent observers reported in 2022 that the country was behind schedule on reaching its goals.

France has experienced greater-than-average temperature increases, highlighting its vulnerability to climate change. Environmental health issues have not been a strong policy priority. The country has a strong record of protecting terrestrial biomes and marine areas. Species protection has been hampered by the agricultural sector’s strong political influence.

The country played a major role in the negotiations leading to the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, it is not on track to meet the net-zero emissions target by 2050, despite its strong international commitments.