old-boy network of graduates of the ENA

, the Ecole Normale d'Administration, one of France's top "grandes écoles". The main function of the ENA is to train uncoming generations of hauts fonctionnaires (top civil servants) who will later run France's public sector. However the school also trains future leaders of industry, and many top French politicians have been through this school. Originally located in Paris, the ENA is now in Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace. The network of graduates, known as Enarques, is one of the cosiest and most influential old-boy (and old-girl) networks in France.

[enarʃi] nom féminin

old-boy network of graduates of the ENA

   In spite of the national commitment to the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, France remains marked by traditions of elitism that are ingrained in the very fibre of society. The French Revolution was supposed to have done away with privileges and elites, and usher in an age of greater equality; in the event, it - and subsequent upheavals - changed the nature of the elites in France, without making a great impact on the underlying system. Indeed, the notion of 'republican elites' is one that was fundamental in the shaping of post-Revolutionary France.

   In terms of local power, the role of local notables - important figures - remains strong. Notables frequently fulfil multiple roles in local administration and structures, sometimes combining these with elected positions on a regional or national scale, giving them and their close supporters a considerable degree of power. (See Cumul des mandats). They are frequently referred to as les elites locales. The process of devolution in France, set in motion in 1982, has had the effect of strengthening the power base of local elites.

   The French education system, while offering a good quality non-selective education to all children at lower levels, is increasingly elitist towards the top, particularly when it comes to preparing for higher education. Manyclasses préparatoires, particularly those preparing students for entrance to the top institutions of higher education, called Grandes Ecoles, are very selective, and the selection process - and for that matter the system itself - often disfavours students from humble or poorer backgrounds. The Grandes Ecoles themselves, tailor-made to the needs of the nation, train the future leaders and decision makers in specific fields of the public or private sector, producing very close networks of former students, that make the British concept of the "old-boy network" seem rather informal.

   Places in the top grandes écoles and some other institutions are highly sought after, as graduates from these schools are seen in France as a sort of caste, membership of which is highly recommended, if not essential, for anyone wanting to reach the top. The classic example of this is the ENA, Ecole Normale d'Administration, the Grande Ecole designed to train top civil servants and future political leaders. In the corridors of French power, many if not most of the top positions are occupied by Enarques, graduates of the ENA. In 1967, Jean-Pierre Chevènement - himself an Enarque, and later to be Minister of the Interior under François Mitterrand - coined the word Enarchie, to define the French system of state elites.

   As for business elites, a 2006 review in the Economist observed that they "often seem to owe more allegiance to the group from which they are drawn than to the international corporations they work for."