Sociologies (Feb 2020)
Des « rouges » à l’école des élites ?
Abstract
This article shows how former French trade unionists (CGT members, a left wing trade union) unexpectedly reached senior ranks of the French public service, during the 1980's, thanks to a specific way - known as the "third way" - of gaining entry into the National School of Administration (ENA). It first describes the social values of those students and then explains how they succeeded in using their know-how and social skills despite the elitist models of the French Administration. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how – in spite of "unsuitable" biographic path and marginal position among the administrative elite – some of them were able to progressively fit with their new role as senior civil servant
