Culture of belief against culture of the authority

ASES eyes, lack even the essential: that the two lines of life of the French economy, unemployment and growth curves, frankly change direction. But, on the eve of mark, this Saturday June 19, his third anniversary of the economy Minister, Christine Lagarde can see signs of an atypical success.

First, the confidence of the President who, as far as jurisdiction, his energy, his relaxation, appreciates his loyalty and sense of Government solidarity. "You evidence that can do serious things by laugh, be successful in politics without say colleagues," he launched Nicolas Sarkozy in Council of Ministers, here is a little more than a year after she was appeared, capped of a beret, in the "Daily Show" of John Stewart, on the string us Comedy Central.

Then, the recognition of foreign counterparts, the leaders of the international financial institutions, the world of finance. A position of woman of influence by a regular presence at the top of these rankings popular by the Anglo-Saxon press: Fifth female personality for "wall street Journal", "time Magazine" Top 100 figure, "Minister of Finance of the year 2009" for the "Financial Times". An international aura no pattern of Bercy had had since Nicolas Sarkozy, in 2004.

And in France, a rather satisfactory future rating (27 in the latest barometer TNS Sofres-Logica - "Figaro Magazine") to judge by the unpopularity attached to the mission in crisis and by a majority support in the electorate of right - privilege that she shares with Michèle Alliot-Marie and Dominique Strauss-Kahn. It is his longevity, however, remains the marker the most immediate passage succeeded in Bercy. Not that it is outstanding to remain three years Minister, or even than that is usually sufficient to qualify the success.

But the position was posted for so long of instability, so chronic that there be three years became a performance. Francis Mer, Nicolas Sarkozy, Hervé Gaymard, Thierry Breton, Jean-Louis Borloo: five years (from May 2002 to May 2007), five Ministers to were succeeded in the service, when, in Germany, only two (Hans Eichel and Peer Steinbrück) occupied finance in ten years (1999-2009).

Christine Lagarde to Bercy longevity is not a record. She, of course, already held longer than Dominique Strauss-Kahn, almost as Jacques Delors, but less than Pierre Bérégovoy. His glory is rather to be reached at this point, and with so much credit, being derived from civil society. He must go back to Raymond bar (which had the function with that of Prime Minister), in the second half of the 1970s, to find such a success of a "civil" to the economy.

The experience had been attempted twice since 2002, with Francis Mer, former President of Arcelor, with Thierry Breton, France Telecom ex-PDG. Two elements have contributed to what the third attempt is good. Unlike Francis Mer and Thierry Breton, Christine Lagarde was not a business per se but the "Executive Committee" of the law firm of Baker & McKenzie, Chicago. Culture of belief against culture of the authority. "When you are elected, not appointed, you have 600 partners around the world, who are not your employees, you must convince and gather", analysis the Minister today.

While its predecessors from the company arrived at Bercy with used to be obeyed, she knows the limits of the political will. She grows the consensus and compromise. "Where she chairs the economic commission of the nation, she listens and lets talk, the opposite of some of its predecessors," reflects Olivier Garnier, head Economist Group Société Générale. All impregnated of its managerial culture, former boss of France Telecom had implemented performance indicators, as if the macroeconomic results depended on the sole intention of the leader of the Bercy company The habit of "uniting the points of view", Christine Lagarde judge it has including "many assisted" in reform, very contested, the business tax. Whether renounce ambitions - the removal of the ISF for example - for political realities is part of these flexibilities were not spontaneously Ministers from the economic world.

Another positive element was the international and financial dimension of the crisis in the fall of 2008. Very aware of the mechanisms at work in a crisis to the causes and responses of a high tech, able to discuss in perfect English, at any hour of the night, with US Treasury Secretary - "This makes easier" - Christine Lagarde was able to take advantage of these events as a developer. "I could, she said, put at the service of the country that I was different. This atypia is also the limit of the lesson: entrust again Bercy to a personality issue of civil society remain a more risky operation that ensured.