ABSTRACT
In times of great socio-economic crises, considerations about the role of the state in the economy and the optimal size of the public sector always come to the forefront of public debates. So it happened following the outbreak of the 2008 global financial crisis. Although the neoliberal paradigm did not collapse and privatization continued (both worldwide and in France) 1 after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, the strengthening of state intervention in the economy, which took place parallel to privatization, has also been noticeable since then: first, through measures reinforcing the state’s shareholder position; and second, through the expansion of state-owned enterprises, often across national borders.
