The collective work directed by J-C. Trichet, former President of the Economic and Social Council in 2023 and President of the jury of the Turgot Literary Prize, is of unparalleled prestige among the 5,000 works reviewed by members of the Turgot Club since 1987. The book brings together a prominent group of former prime ministers and ministers, European commissioners and senior officials, heads of international institutions and ambassadors, central, international and national bankers, etc., who have held the highest positions over the past half-century.
The book covers governance in all its dimensions, international and national, public and private, past (the great models), present (the improbable devices) and future (the expectations). The book also has the distinction of being written in different styles, such as a keynote address, a political speech, a legal brief, a collection of memories, etc., but it nonetheless, retains its coherence and power of attraction, qualities that are increasingly rare in post-modern political and economic literature.
The book is organized into five chapters. The first deals with private governance as practiced by large international, industrial, and banking companies, with the testimonies and recommendations of P. Barbizet, followed by A. Minc, H. Davies and E. Roman. The second chapter focuses on the governance of major international institutions with contributions from O. Renaud-Basso on the governance of the IBRD and subsequently, P. Lamy on the WTO, J. de Lamassoure on the effects of monetary policies and C. Lagarde on supranational governance. Chapter 3 deals with “green governance” with E. Faber who explains the foundations of the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) strategy, then Mr. Mac Carney who reflects on good global environmental governance, while L. Fabius draws lessons from the COP22 in 2016. Chapter 4 is devoted to “good governance and good public administration”. E. Baladur analyzes the successive reforms to the Constitution of the Fifth Republic in France, while L. Fabius analyzes the different forms of governance practiced at international and national levels. J-C. Junker traces the evolution of European institutions; M. Pébereau stresses the importance of a rapid recovery of French finances; F. Villeroy de Galhau presents the governance of the Banque de France and M de Boisdeffre considers the role of users?? in Western democracies. Finally, chapter 5 compares the different global visions of governance with a reflection by J-D. Levitte on the progress of global diplomacy since the 1990s; T. de Montbrial wonders about the future of the global economic system. The late J. Baechter strives to conclude by distinguishing “good governance”, effective and/or profitable and “good governance”, moral and equitable, whose combination is becoming increasingly difficult.
Review by J-J. Pluchart