Opponents of French president Emmanuel Macron have come up with a ruse to rile him over the final stretch of what he hopes will be his reelection campaign: For every idea he proposes, ask if it comes from McKinsey, reports Politico.
The government's use of consultancies during Macron's presidency has become a thorn in his campaign, to the point that two ministers took to the stage on Wednesday to try to shield Macron from a growing controversy just days ahead of the first-round of the presidential election.
“We have nothing to hide,” said minister of public transformation and service Amélie de Montchalin at a press conference, alongside budget minister Olivier Dussopt, who said the debate about the use of consultancies had become the object of "political exploitation" and "crude manipulation."
Both were referring to a nationwide debate sparked by a parliamentary report published by opposition lawmakers earlier this month on the same day that Macron presented his political platform – and a year after POLITICO first reported that the government hired leading consultancy firm McKinsey to help with its coronavirus vaccine rollout, raising questions about the overall use of consultancies.
After a four-month investigation, senators found that Macron’s government and French public administrations have signed contracts worth at least €2.4 billion with consultancy firms since 2018 to work on subjects ranging from pension reform to digital transformation, and that the use of consultancies has jumped during his five-year term.
Lawmakers also said that McKinsey did not pay corporate tax in France for at least 10 years — an accusation the firm denies.
As the chorus of criticism has grown louder the hashtag #McKinseyGate has spread on social media, Macron and his ministers have had to react.