De la confusion des intérêts au conflit d'intérê ts

Abstract

From Confusion of Interests to Conflicts of Interests France has often ignored not just the reality but the very concept of conflict of interests. In the name of the so-called virtues of synthesis, it has legitimized and justified the accumulation of positions of power both in private and public spheres. Such an approach is one of the many manifestations of the lack of interest of French society and in particular its elites for pluralism. As a result, conflicts of interests, when taken into account, are less considered for prevention and awareness purposes than for the punishment of a few potentially criminal cases. Gradually, under media and public opinion pressure and because of the internationalization of the debates, the French approach, albeit reluctantly, has tended to move closer to the historically more advanced Anglo-Saxon practices. © Le Seuil. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays.