“We are at war” : dynamic conception of the general interest and legitimization of public decision-making in a context of health crisis["Nous sommes en guerre" : conception dynamique de l’intérêt général et légitimation de la prise de décision publique dans un contexte de crise sanitaire]

The COVID-19 health crisis is a unique case study of public decision-making in an uncertain and urgent context. The French government, faced with the demands of the biomedical world and certain sectors of civil society, chose to rely on the authority of scientific advisory committees to legitimize unpopular decisions, especially confining the population. The objective of this article is to uncover the discursive strategy of the government through a quali-quantitative analysis of the speeches of the French President and the French Prime Ministers. Our results show how the conception of the general interest evolves in the government's communication strategy, from a voluntarist approach to a utilitarian one, as well as a regular recourse to scientific authorities in order to legitimize its decision making. We conclude on the importance of transparency in public decision-making to strengthen the trust of civil society in its representatives.