France: The Asterix Syndrome and the Exceptional Case

Abstract

On 10 August 2007, a new stage in the development of the Evaluative State was reached in France with the promulgation of Law 2007–1199. Officially entitled the ‘Law bearing on organizing the new university’ (loi portant organisation de la nouvelle université), it was deftly wafted onto the statute book at the very moment when the minds of the nation, academia, administration, students and parents were given over largely to sun, sea, sand and surf, if not sex! Although presented as the brainchild of the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Valérie Pécresse, it was clear nevertheless that overhauling the ‘freedoms of the university’¹ was already under active consideration during the latter days of the Presidency of Jacques Chirac (Neave, 2008a).