39

The general secretaries of ministries are an important cog in the central administrative machinery, but remain relatively unexamined. Whether they are an essential link between politics and administration, or simply manage ministerial support functions, the role, functioning, and influence of general secretaries are indicators of the intensity of inter- and intra-ministerial coordination. By analyzing the evolution of the general secretariats of the French economic and financial ministries, this study shows that the mainsprings of this entity’s legitimization are based on both internal and external attributes.