L’Etat, garant de l’intérêt général ou de certains intérêts particuliers

The dominant idea for liberalism remains with the minimal state, but at the same time, in case of negative economic or social results, the state is responsible and sometimes even found guilty. What is the legitimacy of the State as an economic actor, what contours should be given to its functions? The State spends on infrastructure, public goods and sometimes acts in the sphere of goods and services. It is a spending centre and its action is often considered unproductive. But the State is also a conglomerate of citizen economic actors who propose to use it for their own purposes. It is often accused of being the servant of private interests, of corruption, prevarication, technocracy and bureaucracy, of insufficient action in defence of social values and solidarity. Today, it is in competition with international institutions and economic globalisation.