The Infiltrators
How Consulting Firms Took Control of the State
By Louis Perez y Cid
We are in election season: the municipal elections.
Even though this election is, by nature, local, I can't help but think of a book that made a strong impression on me when it was published in 2022: The Infiltrators, by Matthieu Aron and Caroline Michel-Aguirre, published by Allary Éditions.
This book raises a troubling question: what becomes of a state when its strategic decisions are increasingly entrusted to external actors?
And, by extension, what becomes of our elections if those we choose sometimes merely rubber-stamp policies already conceived elsewhere?
Reading this book also reminded me of a classic of political thought, The Old Regime and the Revolution, published in 1856 by Alexis de Tocqueville. Nearly two centuries later, some of Tocqueville's insights seem to resonate with a strange relevance today.
The State and its Dependence on Consultants
In *The Infiltrators*, the authors describe a phenomenon that has gradually taken root at the heart of the state apparatus: the growing influence of private consulting firms.
For the past twenty years or so, these firms, often international and largely Anglo-Saxon, have been involved in increasingly sensitive areas: modernization of public administration, digital transformation, hospital organization, industrial strategy, and public policy reforms.
The issue took on a particular dimension during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, it was revealed that several firms, including McKinsey & Company, had been mobilized by the French government to support certain logistical and organizational operations, particularly those related to the vaccination campaign.
This information sparked a lively debate... Read more...
For the past twenty years or so, these firms, often international and largely Anglo-Saxon, have been involved in increasingly sensitive areas: modernization of public administration, digital transformation, hospital organization, industrial strategy, and public policy reforms.
The issue took on a particular dimension during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, it was revealed that several firms, including McKinsey & Company, had been mobilized by the French government to support certain logistical and organizational operations, particularly those related to the vaccination campaign.
This information sparked a lively debate... Read more...
March 10, 1831 in Comics
By Louis Perez y Cid
The first story in the comic book series "It's the Legion" takes us back to the origins of the French Foreign Legion. It recounts its creation and its baptism of fire in the French possessions in Africa, the future Algeria.
A tragic baptism.
In the heat of battle, Lieutenant Cham falls under enemy fire. He thus becomes the first Legion officer to die in combat… the first name on a long and painful list etched in the Legion's memory.
The second story transports us much later, to 1997, to the heart of the jungle in French Guiana.
During a deep mission near marker 6, a half-section of legionnaires finds themselves isolated in the vastness of the Amazon rainforest. A serious accident occurs. The situation is critical.
Then came an order, simple and absolute ... Read more...
During a deep mission near marker 6, a half-section of legionnaires finds themselves isolated in the vastness of the Amazon rainforest. A serious accident occurs. The situation is critical.
Then came an order, simple and absolute ... Read more...
The 18
Based on the true story of Fernando Magellan's voyage
A graphic novel series by Louis Perez y Cid.
In 1519, 240 men set sail from Seville. Seasoned sailors, inexperienced foreigners, men haunted by their past, and children.
Five ships embarked for the Ocean Sea under the command of Fernand Magellan.
No one knew their true destination. Two years' worth of provisions were on board.
The maps stopped where their route began. They set off into the void.
Three years later, only one ship returned, carrying several tons of cloves and… 18 survivors.
Captain Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in history.
But between departure and return, there was no glory.
There is hunger, fear, betrayal, cold, suffocating heat, mutiny, fighting, and blood—lots of blood.
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This is not a legend. It's worse.
The Beast and Us
Security, Sovereignty, Freedom
By Louis Perez y Cid
In 1945, Europe discovered not only that it had lost a war, but also that it had allowed itself to be drawn into absolute savagery.
Cultured, industrialized, and structured nations, endowed with prestigious universities and brilliant engineers, slid toward the abyss without the collapse initially seeming inevitable. The question, therefore, is not simply, who is at fault? But the more disturbing one: how could modern societies have consented?
Taking refuge in Switzerland during the conflict, the French journalist Bertrand de Jouvenel published *Du Pouvoir* (On Power) in 1945. He was not looking for an isolated monster, but analyzing a dynamic.
Political power, he explained, naturally tends to expand. He called it the "Beast."
The term is not excessive; it is precise.
The Beast does not refer to a particular regime, but to the logic by which power grows when circumstances justify it and when citizens accept it. History shows that this process never begins with brutality, but with necessity... Read more...
In 1945, Europe discovered not only that it had lost a war, but also that it had allowed itself to be drawn into absolute savagery.
Cultured, industrialized, and structured nations, endowed with prestigious universities and brilliant engineers, slid toward the abyss without the collapse initially seeming inevitable. The question, therefore, is not simply, who is at fault? But the more disturbing one: how could modern societies have consented?
Taking refuge in Switzerland during the conflict, the French journalist Bertrand de Jouvenel published *Du Pouvoir* (On Power) in 1945. He was not looking for an isolated monster, but analyzing a dynamic.
Political power, he explained, naturally tends to expand. He called it the "Beast."
The term is not excessive; it is precise.
The Beast does not refer to a particular regime, but to the logic by which power grows when circumstances justify it and when citizens accept it. History shows that this process never begins with brutality, but with necessity... Read more...
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The Anxious Generation
by Jonathan Haidt
By Louis Perez y Cid
My friend Patrice Valantin's IRVIN association (see the Facts section) discusses this book. What is it about?
Published in 2024, The Anxious Generation makes a strong case: the widespread use of smartphones and social media, combined with more protective parenting, has profoundly altered the development of young people and contributed to the rise in anxiety and depressive disorders observed since the early 2010s.
My friend Patrice Valantin's IRVIN association (see the Facts section) discusses this book. What is it about?
Published in 2024, The Anxious Generation makes a strong case: the widespread use of smartphones and social media, combined with more protective parenting, has profoundly altered the development of young people and contributed to the rise in anxiety and depressive disorders observed since the early 2010s.
A clear social diagnosis
Haidt speaks of a "great rewiring" of childhood: less free play, fewer face-to-face interactions, and more digital socialization. He draws on epidemiological data and psychological research to demonstrate a temporal correlation between the... Read more...
Valiant Women
The Sentinels of the Legionnaires
By Louis Perez y Cid
“Daddy, Why Are You Leaving?” was a book for children. For those who wait. For those who experience absence without always having the words to express it. It gave a voice to a silent pain, seen from a child’s perspective.
With Valiant Women, the focus now turns to those who remain. The wives and partners of legionnaires. Those who bear the burden of waiting every day, who keep the home going, who learn to live with distance, worry, and hope. This book is theirs, a testament to strength, courage, and resilience, to make visible those who, in the shadows, watch over them.
“Daddy, Why Are You Leaving?” was a book for children. For those who wait. For those who experience absence without always having the words to express it. It gave a voice to a silent pain, seen from a child’s perspective.
With Valiant Women, the focus now turns to those who remain. The wives and partners of legionnaires. Those who bear the burden of waiting every day, who keep the home going, who learn to live with distance, worry, and hope. This book is theirs, a testament to strength, courage, and resilience, to make visible those who, in the shadows, watch over them.
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Maylis Lardet and Marie-Laure Vincensini have written a book that is as necessary as it is profoundly human. The first book entirely devoted to the wives and partners of legionnaires, it fills a long-standing silence surrounding those who experience the Legion from within, without a uniform, but with remarkable resilience. Read more...
“Daddy, Why Are You Leaving?” Why is this children’s book on our site?
By Louis Perez y Cid
“Daddy, Why Are You Leaving?” is a children’s book written by a young author. It has its rightful place on our site primarily because its story is deeply intertwined with our own.
Its author, Marion Maloigne, is a fellow service member of the French Air Force. Like so many service members, she had to deploy, leaving behind what she held most dear: her family. As a mother, she experienced the separation not only with her adult heart, but also through the eyes of her child.
From this ordeal, a certainty emerged. By blending her own experience with her passion for literature, she chose to write for children. For those who are waiting. For those who feel the absence without always being able to name it. For our children.
“Every day, hundreds of men and women are sent far from home. Of course, we think of them and support them, but what about those who stay behind? What about those little ones who suffer in silence?
As a mother, I saw the terrible sadness in my little boy’s eyes. What a heartbreaking ordeal for a parent to witness this powerful rift taking root in the hearts of our children. I couldn’t leave my son in such a heavy sorrow, and it’s thanks to these kinds of little stories that I was able to help him heal.”
Marion Maloigne Read more...
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Comics, the Meaning of Life
Unlike many politicians, our friend Christian keeps his promises. The second post on comics is still fresh off the press. He doesn't do this half-heartedly; there are no half measures. You can tell he's a comic book addict; he knows his stuff… Many years ago, he took me through the streets of Aix-en-Provence to show me a bookstore specializing in them. He probably doesn't remember it anymore, but I remember it very well, so astonished was I by the owners' passion for the world of comics, as if surprised by the glee in Christian's eyes. These comics aren't for kids; they're very adult and very serious.
I humbly confess that I never thought I could elevate my mind to such a degree—like on Jacob's Ladder, which he mentions—thanks to comics. But come to think of it… who knows!
Today he's talking about Calvin, complete with his tiger and his famous box. He feels literally hypnotized by the box's contents. As he himself says, it's a veritable Pandora's box where you find everything that can affect us in life.
A marvelous world where you can dive headfirst without being mistaken for an old man having a midlife crisis.
Our friend Christian has more in store for us…
Antoine Marquet.
Comics. Calvin and Hobbes
“Irregular Men” The Journey of a Man, from Legionnaire to Priest
Published in 2006, this book by Étienne de Montety, then deputy editor of Figaro Magazine, is the result of three years of research with former members of the French Foreign Legion. Through thirteen unique stories, it recounts the rupture, the ordeal, and the rebuilding. Often from elsewhere, these men remind us that nothing is ever truly over.
In this Christmas season, conducive to reflection, it seemed fitting to evoke one of them, whose journey is profoundly human: Father Jorge Saavedra.
In this article, Christian recounts with simplicity his encounter with this discreet man, whose spiritual path, shaped by trials and decisive encounters, finds its light at the very heart of the French Foreign Legion.
Louis Perez y Cid
A Man's Journey, from Legionnaire to Priest
Collected by Christian Morisot
As Director of the Foreign Legion Veterans' Home, I found myself in a very delicate situation: I had no priest to officiate at the funeral of one of our residents who had recently passed away.
From memory, I knew that a priest, a former legionnaire, was in Aix-en-Provence. It was noted that he was a very discreet man who lived in a small attic apartment near the cathedral.
Thus, responding to my request, I met Father Jorge Saavedra, who agreed to celebrate this religious tribute to our veteran in the Institution's chapel.
Afterwards, the opportunity arose to get to know each other better. Read more...
As Director of the Foreign Legion Veterans' Home, I found myself in a very delicate situation: I had no priest to officiate at the funeral of one of our residents who had recently passed away.
From memory, I knew that a priest, a former legionnaire, was in Aix-en-Provence. It was noted that he was a very discreet man who lived in a small attic apartment near the cathedral.
Thus, responding to my request, I met Father Jorge Saavedra, who agreed to celebrate this religious tribute to our veteran in the Institution's chapel.
Afterwards, the opportunity arose to get to know each other better. Read more...
What the West Refuses to See
Some books are disturbing because they hit the nail on the head. The Camp of the Saints is one of them. For over fifty years, Jean Raspail's novel has been vilified, not for what it is, but for what it forces us to confront.
In this article, Antoine offers a frank rereading of this reviled work in light of contemporary realities. This is neither about indulgence nor demonization, but about an observation: by refusing debate, our societies have replaced lucidity with denial.
Whether one agrees with or rejects Raspail's arguments, one thing remains: ignoring the warnings never makes them obsolete. This article invites us to break the silence before it becomes irreversible.
Louis Perez y Cid
In this article, Antoine offers a frank rereading of this reviled work in light of contemporary realities. This is neither about indulgence nor demonization, but about an observation: by refusing debate, our societies have replaced lucidity with denial.
Whether one agrees with or rejects Raspail's arguments, one thing remains: ignoring the warnings never makes them obsolete. This article invites us to break the silence before it becomes irreversible.
Louis Perez y Cid
The Camp of the Saints
Antoine Marquet (Lieutenant Colonel TE-er)
As editor-in-chief of Képi Blanc magazine, I was, among other things, responsible for reviewing literary works submitted to me for the magazine's readers. For a long time, I was tempted to review The Camp of the Saints by Jean Raspail, ambassador of Patagonia, journalist, and writer. I confess that I censored myself in order to avoid attracting potentially damaging criticism to the magazine. The movement of ... Read more...
As editor-in-chief of Képi Blanc magazine, I was, among other things, responsible for reviewing literary works submitted to me for the magazine's readers. For a long time, I was tempted to review The Camp of the Saints by Jean Raspail, ambassador of Patagonia, journalist, and writer. I confess that I censored myself in order to avoid attracting potentially damaging criticism to the magazine. The movement of ... Read more...
Alexandra David-Néel
“To be fiercely opposed to any leveling down.”
Our friend is indulging himself today, venturing into the philosophical realms he so loves, by evoking and sharing with us the reflections of Alexandra David-Néel… who, known as Alexandra, was actually named Alexandrine. A writer and explorer, a renowned orientalist, this woman led an absolutely extraordinary life. Born in Saint-Mandé, she died in Digne, but between these two cities she traveled extensively throughout the Far East, where she was a leading authority. What an extraordinary destiny for someone who, initially, was named Alexandrine… a sort of verse with two sets of six syllables… in the feminine form…
Antoine Marquet
By Christian Morisot
Alexandra David-Néel said: “The greatest service one could render to a human being was to make them intelligent. Helping people rise up didn't mean giving them money, but culture, a well-formed mind. Giving money to a fool is useless; they don't know how to spend it. The rich shouldn't fall down the social ladder, but it was the poor who should rise. One must be fiercely opposed to any leveling down.”
Read more...
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Hannah Arendt
Reflections following the CEMA's remarks: Seventy years ago, the philosopher Hannah Arendt, who fled Nazi Germany, warned us. Her warning was not that lies would prevail, but that people would become too exhausted to care about what is true.
Hannah Arendt didn't study totalitarianism from books. She fled from it.
Born in 1906 in Germany, in a world of ideas and debates, she studied philosophy under some of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers. Then the Nazis came to power.
In 1933, this Jewish intellectual was briefly arrested by the Gestapo. Released after a week, she understood what was coming. She fled Germany illegally, passing through Czechoslovakia and then France. When France fell in 1940, she was interned in a camp. She escaped during the chaos of the French collapse. With emergency visas, forged documents, and desperate courage, she crossed borders as Europe burned. She reached Portugal, and finally New York in 1941.
She survived. But she never forgot what she had seen. Read more...