Aroused by the planned overhaul of the senior civil service, the rebellion of diplomats is not weakening. An unprecedented mobilization.
The strike at the Quai d’Orsay, announced for Thursday, June 2, promises to be very well attended. For the past few days, under the hashtag #diplo2metier, the agents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been transmitting on Twitter the forum written by a group of young civil servants, and published in preview on the site of Le Monde on May 25. Under the title “We are facing a risk of the disappearance of our professional diplomacy”, the text denounces the reform desired by Emmanuel Macron, which provides for the “extinction” of two historical bodies.
A dozen ambassadors, including Véronique Aulagnon, in Oman, or her counterparts in Kuwait and Cyprus, have announced their intention to strike. Several senior officials, such as Philippe Bertoux, Director of Strategic and Multilateral Affairs, will do the same. Many others, like Anne Guéguen (North Africa-Middle East) shared the text, without specifying their personal choice. The appointment at the head of the ministry of a career diplomat, Catherine Colonna, very discreet so far on this burning issue, has not, at this stage, succeeded in calming people’s minds.
The strike notice was filed by a large inter-union, in connection with the group of young diplomats at the origin of the platform. The CFTC, the FSU, Solidaires, and the CGT support the movement, while the majority union, the CFDT, stands aside. “This reform reflects an incomprehensible desire to undermine our ministry, at the risk of permanently weakening our country’s ability to project itself and defend itself in the world”, underlines the inter-union.
