Between 2017 and 2019, the National Assembly published 196 reports; between 2022 and 2024, 279. Against a backdrop of institutional gridlock, lawmakers have strengthened their oversight, and the now-famous “committees of inquiry” are the most visible sign of this.Criticized by some, praised by others, they nonetheless provide opportunities for all key players to make their case—provided they know how to take advantage of them.
It is true that all the ingredients are in place to make these moments intense, even dreaded. First, the sensitive nature of the issues addressed makes these sessions highly political. Second, the decorum and procedure: the solemnity of the oath-taking, summonses that are (at least in theory) binding, and the power to examine documents and conduct on-site inspections. Finally, and most importantly, the live broadcast of the hearings and the imbalance between the national legislature’s near-absolute power—which is difficult to counter with the witnesses’ rights, which are not clearly defined. All of this is based on rules that are generally vague and open to interpretation.
Many hearings are genuinely useful to the work of Parliament and make it possible to investigate and identify tangible shortcomings in public policy—and that is a good thing. But it must be noted that some of them sometimes resemble a theater stage or a boxing ring, where the primary focus is on finding headline-grabbing figures and “sound bites” to feed social media and 24-hour news channels. Thus, we have seen former presidents of the Republic, a sitting prime minister, famous actors, and numerous business executives appear before members of parliament…
The latter, in fact, realized that the exercise presented a communication opportunity. Olivier Andriès (Safran) took the opportunity to denounce the “aero-bashing” by certain municipalities, explaining that he would no longer invest in a city run by environmentalists if it meant “being pelted with tomatoes.” Rodolphe Saadé (CMA-CGM) countered criticism of public aid by highlighting the return on investment from the BPI. Patrick Pouyanné (Total Energies), a seasoned veteran of this type of exercise, seized the opportunity to justify his investments in fossil fuels. Florent Ménégaux (Michelin) even gave the lawmakers a real lesson in economics…
Everyone thus came to understand the nature of the exercise and how to use it while being shielded from the obligation to tell the truth—a situation that opens up a genuine space of paradoxical freedom. To master this exercise, however, one must prepare thoroughly, understand its conventions, and identify the key points of interest before, during, and after the sequence.
Arthur Arlaud, Senior Consultant
