Is the State a good shareholder? To answer this question using a strictly pragmatic approach, the Cour des comptes reviewed State shareholdings in companies over the period 2010-2016. It defined State Shareholder in a broad sense to include: the Agence des participations de l’État (APE), the Cais...

La Poste group, France’s second-largest public sector employer with over 250,000 employees, operates across a variety of fields (banking, postal services, parcels delivery, mobile telephony, etc.), including through subsidiaries in France and abroad. La Poste delivers a public service throughout ...

Resulting from the reorganisation of Oséo, CDC Entreprises, Fonds Stratégique d’Investissement (FSI) and FSI Régions, Banque publique d’investissement (Bpifrance) was launched in 2012 to develop and broaden government support for corporate financing and to mitigate the risk of a credit crunch.

State-owned company France Télévisions is a group that comprises five national channels, 24 regional services, nine TV and radio stations in overseas territories, as well as several subsidiaries. It employed 9,932 FTE employees at end 2015 (excluding subsidiaries), o/w 86% were permanent position...

The Cour des comptes has published a report, produced jointly with the regional courts of audit, on the financial position and management of local governments and their public institutions. The local public administration authorities ('APUL') account for 20% of government spending and a...

The structure of the French labour market puts young people in particular at a disadvantage. It takes them longer to find stable employment, they are more commonly faced with job insecurity and involuntary part-time work, and they have a high poverty rate. For several decades, a number of assista...

More than 10 years after its previous report on central government civil servant pensions, the Cour des comptes has once again carried out an analysis of civil servant pension schemes, including local government and hospital civil servants. It has examined their specific characteristics and progr...

The Cour des comptes is publishing its annual report on the application of the Social Security Financing Acts.
The reduction of the social security deficit continued in 2015. However, the deficit is still high and its persistence remains a singular anomaly with regard to most of our neighbo...

Drinking is a sensitive issue in France, where alcohol is associated with celebrations, lifestyle and culture. This social and cultural heritage is further strengthened by alcohol's economic clout, and results in a general tolerance towards drinking.
This largely explains the challenge...

This report on the situation and outlook of public finances is prepared, as in every year, pursuant to Article 58-3° of the by-law relating to finance acts (LOLF).
Filed jointly with the Government’s report on the development of the national economy and the guidelines for public finances, i...