The panels overseeing the 2026 entrance examinations for France’s National Institute of Public Service (INSP), formerly ENA, have again highlighted weaknesses in some candidates’ historical knowledge. In a report published on October 30, Philippe Mahé said too many applicants were unfamiliar with major events in the political, economic and social history of the Fourth and Fifth Republics.
Mahé, who previously served as prefect of Finistère and Var, said candidates for senior state positions should be able to place key political figures and events within the country’s recent chronology. The report describes as unacceptable cases in which applicants could not identify a president of the Republic or place that presidency accurately within the past six decades. It also notes that some candidates treated the Covid-19 crisis as the final chronological point of contemporary history.
The examiners stressed that applicants are expected to follow current affairs. This year’s contemporary-issues paper in the external competition addressed whether the democratic nature of the state makes it powerless. However, the panels said current events should be assessed through a broader historical perspective, allowing candidates to highlight their significance or put them into context.
According to the report, many applicants struggled to achieve that balance and appeared familiar only with developments from the previous few months. One example concerned the claim that the absence of a clear majority in the National Assembly since the 2024 dissolution was the direct cause of the democratic state’s real or perceived powerlessness.
Sources: Le Monde Économie.