Abstract

The classic approach to corruption, as used for instance by the international institutions in their definition of development policies, is too simplistic. It constitutes a measure of good governance that is at the same time unreliable, inadequate and biased. It is in fact favorable to the North, since it amounts to overestimate corruption in developing countries and underestimate it in industrialized countries. A more comprehensive approach requires to highlight the channels through which the misappropriated funds pass, and to focus on the players who are the originators of the funds, foremost among which are the States. The example given will be that of France, an industrialized country - committed since 2000 within the framework of the OECD's Convention against Corruption - to illustrate the ambiguity of the role played by the States in this process.