Yet these laboratories of ideas are more active

It's hard phosphorus: Europe, election of Obama, global crisis, social transfers, recasting of capitalism, immigration... A time forgotten or reserved for a certain intellectual elite, the "think tanks" to the French began their place on the front of the stage. "In the historical context which is opened with the crisis and the radical society change, there is an urgent need places of multiple expressions," explains Dominique Reynié, the new Director General of the Foundation for political innovation (Fondapol, right). But "the ecosystem is still its infancy", temper Olivier Ferrand, former Director of cabinet of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, today at the head of Terra Nova, a "think tank" created after the defeat of the left in 2007.

This intellectual boiling remains certainly shy on what is happening elsewhere: there are about 5,000 "think tanks" or stamped as such in the world, including 1,500 in the United States... and just 20 in France. Mode of operation, financing, teams... All distinguishes them. Across the Atlantic, they are thriving. The powerful Brookings Institution shows a budget of over $ 60 million. In France, Institut Montaigne, created in 2000, has never exceeded EUR 3.5 million. Yet, these laboratories of ideas are more active. The crisis they engage a definition on the "French model" war, are vocal on "essential" reforms: health, University, public, etc., multiply seminars, essays and reports. But what is their real audience How do work, with what resources

Win the battle of ideas

The land of "intellectual" and the "debate of ideas", the Jacobin France is hard to believe that these clubs are really necessary. In the United States long ago that politicians arise over the issue. The "think tanks" have fueled the Obama campaign on topics as diverse that the future of pensions, withdrawal of Iraq or taxes on gasoline. Their influence is real: the PNAC (Project for the New American Century) rightly boasted to lead his country into war with the Iraq... Born in the 1960s in Republican circles who realized the stranglehold of the Democrats on the ideological themes (including on the economic thought, dominated by the Keynesian model), the "think tanks" have largely succeed in the debate of ideas. And as they are used also, often, of "holding tanks", senior advisors tanks: Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State for Bill Clinton, has headed the Center for National Policy; his Deputy, Strobe Talbott, was in 2005, President of the Brookings Institution and John Podesta, his former Chief of cabinet, is today at the head of Center for American Progress. On this point, at least, the France is modelled on the United States: "two thirds of the members of"think tanks"are found in the departments," notes Philippe manner, the former Director-General of the Montaigne Institute, who has created his firm of consultants, Footprint. Number of senior officials feed the intellectual stream left: it is obvious to the Republic of ideas, born from the ashes of the Fondation Saint-Simon (who played a crucial role in the development of economic thought of the "liberal" left). It is even more real-time Association, chaired by Gilles de Margerie, who provided the bulk of the "Gracques" during the presidential campaign of 2007. But the hearing and the real influence in public decisions remain to be build.

However, right and left have understood that the elections also earned in the field of ideas. "Political parties, the nose in the handlebars of the news, have difficulty in producing news," notes Dominique Reynié. In France, in a left proven by two failures in the presidential initiatives multiply two years to return to the battle of ideas through circles, focus groups, groups of activists... Right, if Nicolas Sarkozy is entrenching during his campaign to work a panel of intellectuals from all sides under the aegis of Emmanuelle Mignon, there is not discussion club organized in the long term. This is no doubt that the Fondapol, born in 2004 but a time abandoned by the Executive for cause of war Chirac-Sarkozy, recently reborn from the ashes, under the Presidency of Nicolas Bazire. Left, the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, which manages the "Socialist legacy" in dealing with the archives of the PS and the SFIO, she also revived the work of reflection. But the political foundations "must find the right distance with the parties", note its General delegate, Gilles Finchelstein.

"Produce solutions.

The mixing of genres is not always good: Yves Salesse, one of the protectionist candidates to the Elysee in 2007, was co-Chair of the Copernicus Foundation. He was laid off, but since this episode, Copernic has changed direction, entrusting the Presidency to Caroline Mécary. The evidence that some confusion still reigns between the foundations of political parties, discussion clubs related to any particular personality and the "think tanks" "independent".

"Think tanks" generalists "American" itself, there are still very few in France: Terra Nova, and the Republic of ideas on the left, the Montaigne Institute to the centre-right are the principal. Their common goal: "Produce solutions to public policy". "". "Terra Nova is a professional structure dedicated to reflection", confirms Olivier Ferrand. Pierre Rosenvallon, head of the Republic of ideas, does not directly for an impact on political decisions, but to "shape the public debate." The Montaigne Institute, its Director General, François Rachline, is proud to display 20 of its working groups proposals discussed in the Parliament. "A"think tank"serves no purpose if it is not listening", smiles Philippe manner.

To achieve this, each has its method: some prefer networking while choosing to be rather "elitist" as in real time, others seek high visibility in the media, such as Terra Nova or the Institute Montaigne. The latter had innovated during the presidential campaign in addressing the opinion through short messages television, broadcast before the log 20 hours on TF1 (and reproduced on LCI). Budget: EUR 500 000, funded by KPMG. Others want more participatory, as Copernicus: "We have the strength of weak ties", says Willy Pelletier, its General Coordinator, explaining that the research "is not simply a matter of experts." Who better that people who have contracted occupational diseases can speak of medicine work "The association, strongly anchored to the left, had launched the campaign for the"no"to the referendum on the EU Constitution...

Multiple collaborations

But all of them have little or less the same methods of work. To produce their studies, notes, reports, they employ some doctors or PhD students, occasionally assisted by external "brains". With this feature, in the "think tanks" left, to represent the main internal trends... Result, some experts share between the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, Terra Nova, the Iris, or the Foundation Gabriel Péri (close to the PCF): Pascal Boniface Director Iris and is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Gabriel Péri Foundation, the sociologist Eric Maurin participates both in the work of the Republic of ideas and Terra Nova. include the Economist Philippe Askénazy in the Jean-Jaurès Foundation and the Republic of ideas... In the liberal camp, Jean-Hervé Lorenzi leads the circle of economists and collaborates with the Institute Montaigne, as François Ewald, who chairs the Scientific Council of the Fondapol...

The "experts" are undoubtedly return. All want to believe that the emergence of these "think tanks" opens a new form of political organization. Those who had been excluded during the 2007 campaign in favour of participatory democracy are influential new. Is having understood, as in the United States, that the electoral victory will be for those who will be able to handle both social and expert networks once decried.