The appointment of Amélie de Montchalin as head of the Court of Auditors, decided this Monday, February 9th by Emmanuel MacronThis is not a simple administrative choice. It is a strong political gesture, almost an institutional lock-in at the end of a five-year term marked by a continuous deterioration of public finances. The current Minister of Public Accounts is preparing to succeed Pierre Moscovici in a position that is irremovable, potentially until 2053. Appointed at the age of 40 to head an institution whose president is irremovable, Amélie de Montchalin could theoretically remain in office until the age limit of 68. This means a potential presence at the Court of Auditors until 2053, barring voluntary departure. Rarely has a decision so profoundly impacted the future of an institution meant to embody objectivity, evaluation, and oversight of government action.
The choice raises even more questions given that the new First President has been at the very heart of Macron's budgetary machinery since 2017. A member of parliament for the majority, a member of the finance committee, Minister of the Civil Service, then Minister of Public Accounts, she participated in the implementation of an economic policy that has left France with a deficit exceeding 5% of GDP and a debt nearing 120%. The issue is not her technical competence, which is often praised, but her political responsibility for the trajectory that the Court of Auditors has repeatedly warned about… to no avail.
This appointment blurs the line between auditor and audited. How will the institution be able, in the future, to objectively examine budgetary choices to which its new director directly contributed? The Court of Auditors is not a ministry. It is not an extension of the executive branch. It is meant to be its demanding counterpoint.
By appointing a loyalist to this strategic position, Emmanuel Macron also seems to be seeking to permanently steer the Court's approach towards a logic of structural reforms and cost-cutting, consistent with his own vision. But this consistency is problematic: the Court should inform public debate, not extend a political agenda.
The symbolism is twofold. On the one hand, the first woman to head the institution, a welcome break from the past. On the other, the very young appointment of a highly political figure to a position designed for independence and long-term vision. This mixing of roles undermines the image of impartiality that is the hallmark of the Court of Auditors. More than a renewal, this appointment resembles the final piece of a puzzle: that of the Macron administration, which, as it prepares to leave the stage, is already organizing the checks and balances of tomorrow.
