> Those are the ones making the calls. No, the career specialists in the ministries are the ones writing the reports and developing options. Ministers, in Fran

> Those are the ones making the calls. No, the career specialists in the ministries are the ones writing the reports and developing options. Ministers, in France and other democracies, bring their own staffs of experts. Those will work out a recommendation. The minister -- or more broadly speaking the politician -- makes the call. And frankly, I don't know of another way. Nobody can be an expert on all the things that come up in a single ministry, let alone the parliament.