The agents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mobilized Thursday against the abolition of two bodies within the diplomatic network. An unprecedented protest movement, commensurate with the anger that reigns at the Quai d’Orsay.
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The banners prepared by the organizers announced the color: “Professional diplomats on strike”, “not all the same course, but all the same vocation”, “Diplo in extinction”. High placed executives and quasi-deputants, young people and veterans, the strike at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mobilized, Thursday, June 2, a small crowd on the Esplanade des Invalides, a stone’s throw from the seat.
The direction of the Quai d’Orsay did not give an estimate of participation, the unions either, but this extremely rare movement – the last strike of importance dates back to 2003 – aroused unprecedented mobilization against the overhaul of the ministry within the framework of the reform of the high public service initiated by Emmanuel Macron: two bodies at the heart of the diplomatic network are called upon to disappear, in order to encourage their members to join an interministerial pool of senior officials, composed among others of prefects and finance inspectors.
“In my direction, 95 % of agents are on strike,” observes Philippine, 33, who refuses, like her colleagues, to quote her name, because of her duty of reserve and out of prudence, “we are not not interchangeable “. “It is not corporatism, but the desire to defend a career where the experience is acquired over the posts and negotiations,” said this young woman, arriving in the house barely five years ago. At his side, Nicolas, 43, knew, before becoming a diplomat, another administration and considers that “the” quay “is already very open”, to meet one of the alleged objectives of a reform supposed to widen the Diversity and mobility within the institution.
“is a vocation, not a three -year experience”
Nicolas as Philippine are part of a body, that of the secretaries of foreign affairs, maintained at this stage, but both are worried about the impact of the site engaged on their own careers: “Expatriations will be more In addition difficult to obtain when it is the heart of our profession, says Nicolas. We have no certainty of being able to evolve, and we will compete with administrators from other ministries. “
In the rally, the discomfort is shared far beyond the circle of the youngest agents mobilized for weeks on signal messaging – the collective of the 500 – which prompted the unions to take action. One of the two general directors of the ministry (out of three) to strike, Philippe Errera, in charge of political and security affairs, is there. Within the central administration, almost all directors followed the movement, with a good part of their troops. The mobilization was also notable in certain positions abroad, as in Beijing and Tehran, even if the ambassadors are not more than a dozen to have joined, officially, the movement. “It’s a vocation, not a three-year experience,” tweeted number two of the French Embassy in the United States, Aurélie Bonal: “Without diplomatic corps, it will be much easier for the government to name friends at all levels. “
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