French Prime Minister Calls for Drug Testing in Government Ministries

The French government is preparing to take another ridicule step toward in monitoring its own staff.

According to a memo revealed by Politico, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is asking his ministers to organize drug testing within their ministries, targeting both members of the government and staff in ministerial offices.

This initiative builds on the framework of the the executive branch's declared war on illicit substances, even as several recent incidents have shaken the head of government’s political inner circle.

An unprecedented saliva testing program within government departments

The document, dated June 16 and titled “Measures to Prevent Drug Use Within the Government,” outlines an expanded testing program. It calls for “unannounced and mandatory testing, in the form of saliva tests” among ministry staff.

The stated objective: “to verify that the individuals concerned do not use narcotics,” including in their private lives. This measure is not limited to ministers themselves, but extends to advisors and staff members in positions deemed sensitive.

According to information confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office, ministries will also be required to draw up a list of positions subject to regular testing and to implement systematic follow-up procedures in the event of a refusal to be tested or a positive test result. The text specifies that the authorities must “assess the appropriate consequences, including disciplinary measures.”

The document also states that medical support will be offered to those affected in the event of a positive test result, as part of a stated prevention strategy. At the same time, the government is calling for the implementation of a “plan to prevent and combat drug addiction.”

Ironically, while filming for the program “Envoyé spécial,” France 2 journalist Elise Lucet showed up uninvited at the National Assembly last February to offer lawmakers a saliva-based drug test. “A humiliating spectacle,” according to the vice president of the National Assembly, Horizons lawmaker Naïma Moutchou, who had sent a letter to National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet demanding a “firm response.”

A response to a series of internal crises

This decision follows several incidents involving ministerial departments in recent months. One of the most notable involves the dismissal of an advisor close to Sébastien Lecornu, the minister in charge of agricultural affairs.

This advisor was fired following a serious incident that occurred in late December during a private party, described as an overdose that required medical attention. This incident, among other things, prevented him from attending a major official event. His dismissal was formalized by decree in February, in the name of the institution’s “credibility.”

Another senior official in the Île-de-France regional administration was also fired for drug use.

For Matignon, this strategy is primarily a response to the need to set an example within the government. The document emphasizes the need to ensure that those involved in public decision-making conduct themselves in an irreproachable manner.

However, one employee interviewed internally summed up the unease caused by this measure: “It’s going to be fun going to the office: on top of clocking in, we’re going to have to take saliva tests.”

This system must be implemented in each ministry in the form of an action plan, to be submitted to the Prime Minister by June 26.