In ENA we trust
The long reach of the class of 1980
EVERY student of France is familiar with the énarques, graduates of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration. They account for seven of the past ten prime ministers, including Dominique de Villepin, the current one, as well as President Jacques Chirac. From time to time, ENA's grip tightens. Consider the class of 1980, known as the promotion Voltaire. This crop, mostly in their early 50s, from a class of just over 100, is now running the country.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “In ENA we trust”
From the July 23rd 2005 edition
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