Germany, the country where senior civil servants are trained at university.

Summary The debate on the abolition of the École nationale d'administration is all the more lively because it is situated at the convergence of several issues: the principles of meritocracy, social ascension, the functioning of the public administration, networks of influence and professional rents provided by the large bodies. Other models exist among our neighbors. A comparison with Germany sheds light on the role that the university can play in the training of the senior civil service. [First paragraph].