Amélie de Montchalin, the new first president of the Cour des comptes, vows to safeguard the institution’s independence amid controversies over her appointment. The former public accounts minister assumed her role on February 23 and has already stepped back from several files to avoid conflicts of interest.
Amélie de Montchalin was appointed first president of the Cour des comptes by Emmanuel Macron on February 11. This decision, seen as highly political, raised concerns within the institution about its impartiality and drew opposition criticism, fearing she would be both “judge and party” on budgetary matters due to her direct move from the Economy Ministry to Rue Cambon.
She took up her post on Monday, February 23, though her solemn installation ceremony is scheduled for March 13. The former minister for public action and accounts is making multiple efforts to reassure the magistrates. In a message to the Cour des comptes staff and regional audit chambers, she states: “I fully recognize the importance for our democracy of relying on an independent institution, equidistant from Parliament and the government, whose impartiality and neutrality in analyses and judgments are not in question and must never be. I will scrupulously ensure these values of independence, contradiction, and collegiality, so essential for financial jurisdictions, and uphold the institution’s voice in public debate, defend it come what may, and ensure its work continues with serenity and impartiality.”
Already, Amélie de Montchalin has withdrawn from several files to address suspicions of conflicts of interest. A close ally of the head of state, she aims to calm the internal unrest triggered by her appointment.
