NICOLAS TENZER

“AUTHORS ON TOUR” PROGRAM - NON-FICTION LIST — 2011
NICOLAS TENZER
dates October 15—November 6
Biography
Born in Paris in 1961, Nicolas Tenzer studied at the
École normale supérieure (1980-1982) and graduated
magna cum laude from the Institut d’études politiques
of Paris (1982). He holds a Master’s in history
(University of Paris X, 1982) and has studied at l’École
nationale d’administration (E.N.A.), 1984-1986.
Tenzer has held a number of public office positions,
among them:
—Head of division for the Caisse des dépôts et
consignations (public bank), Department of Social
Affairs (1986-1987);
—Adviser for the Cabinet office of the Minister of
Finance (1987-1988);
—Deputy Head, Department of Economic Analysis at the
Caisse des dépôts et Consignations, (1988-1990);
—Investigator in the Cour des comptes (Accounting
Court) (1991-1994);
—Head of Department of Evaluation and State
Modernisation, Strategic Planning Commission (Prime
Minister’s Office) (1994 - 2002);:
—Senior Adviser to Strategic Planning Commissioner (2002 - 2003);
—Administrator and senior advisor to the French Government for Public Reform for the Caisse des dépôts
et Consignations (2003 –2006);
—Head of a special mission on the development and improvement of French international technical
expertise on the programs funded by international organizations and bilateral programs, and on French
priorities in cooperation and development policies (reporting to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign
and European Affairs, the Minister of Economy and Industry, and the Minister of the Budget and Civil
Service) (2006 –2008);
—Several missions on nation’s building and State reform for the European Union in Bosnia-Herzegovina
and Bulgaria (October 2006 – September 2009);
—Missions for the European Union (AMECO program) in Algeria (2009 –2010);
—Missions for the European Union in Ukraine (2010 –2011);
—Missions for the French Government in Serbia (2011).
Tenzer has also been a senior lecturer at the Institut d’Études politiques of Paris in political philosophy
and public affairs (1986-2000 and 2003-2004); and a senior Lecturer at the Ecole nationale
d’Administration in Science of government and constitutional law and other French universities. Abroad he
If you would like to invite this author, please fill out the application form and email it to:
Anne-Sophie Hermil, Tel: 212 439 1467 |anne-sophie.hermil@diplomatie.gouv.fr

“AUTHORS ON TOUR” PROGRAM - NON-FICTION LIST — 2011
has been a visiting professor at universities in Belgrade, St-Petersburg, Sweden, Canada, Morocco and the
US. He has been a Research Associate at the Raoul Dandurand Chair of Strategic and Diplomatic Studies
(University of Québec at Montreal) since 2008.
Tenzer is the co-founder and chairman of Initiative for the Development of French Expertise Abroad in
Europe and Worldwide (IDEFIE), a non-profit organization which aims at improving and strengthening
French academic and technical international expertise.
He has been invited as a keynote speaker or panelist in many national and international seminars on
reform of public administration and international issues. He has been Director and Chief Editor of the
journal Le Banquet since 1992, as well as a member of the editorial board of the journal Pouvoirs locaux.
Tenzer is the author of many articles published in Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, Ouest-France, Esprit,
Le Débat, Commentaire, and other newspapers, journals and reviews. He has contributed to reference
works (Encyclopædia Universalis, Dictionnaire de philosophie politique, Dictionnaire des Sciences
humaines...) and has appeared on talk shows on radio and television on the major French, Belgian and
Swiss radio and television networks and also on CNN. He is a columnist for Project Syndicate.
Tenzer has been named Chevalier dans l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur and Chevalier des Arts et
Lettres.
selected bibliography
In French
Books:
— Le Monde à l’horizon 2030. La règle et le désordre,
Perrin, 2011
— Quand la France disparaît du monde, Grasset, 2008, 3 rd
reprint, 2010
— Pour une nouvelle philosophie politique, P.U.F., 2007.
— Faut-il sauver le libéralisme ? (w/ M. Canto-Sperber),
Grasset, 2006
- De l’esprit de décision. Contre l’approximation politique
(w/ M. de Fabiani), Gualino, 2006
- France : la réforme impossible ?, Flammarion, 2004
- Les valeurs des Modernes. Réflexions sur l’écroulement
politique du nouveau siècle, Flammarion, 2003
— La face cachée du gaullisme. De Gaulle ou
l’introuvable tradition politique, Hachette Littératures,
1998
— Le tombeau de Machiavel. De la corruption
intellectuelle de la politique, Flammarion, 1997
— Histoire des doctrines politiques en France, P.U.F.
(Que sais-je?), 1996
— Philosophie politique, P.U.F., 1994, 2 nd éd., 1998
— La République, P.U.F. (Que sais-je?), 1993
— Les élites et la fin de la démocratie française (in
collaboration w/ R. Delacroix), P.U.F., 1992
— Le spermatozoïde hors la loi. De la bioéthique à la
biopolitique (w/ F. Magnard), Calmann-Lévy, 1991
— La politique, P.U.F. (Que sais-je?), 1991
— La société dépolitisée. Essai sur les fondements de la
politique, P.U.F., 1990
— Un projet éducatif pour la France (editor), P.U.F.,
1989
— La crise africaine: quelle politique de coopération
pour la France ? (w/ F. Magnard), P.U.F., 1988
— La région en quête d’avenir, La Documentation
française, coll. notes et études documentaires, 1986
Official reports;
— Fonctions publiques: enjeux et stratégie pour le
renouvellement [The New Challenges for the Public
Service: How to Address Them?] (w/ B. Cieutat), La
Documentation française, March 2000
—Organiser la politique européenne et internationale de
la France [A New Organization for European and
International Policies in France] (w/ J. Lanxade), La
Documentation française, December 2002
—L’expertise internationale au cœur de la diplomatie et
de la coopération au XXI e siècle. Instruments pour une
stratégie française de puissance et d’influence
(International Expertise: The New Heart of Diplomacy
and Development Policy in the 21 st Century : Tools for a
French Strategy of Influence), May 2008
http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapportspublics/084000476/index.shtml).
If you would like to invite this author, please fill out the application form and email it to:
Anne-Sophie Hermil, Tel: 212 439 1467 |anne-sophie.hermil@diplomatie.gouv.fr

“AUTHORS ON TOUR” PROGRAM - NON-FICTION LIST — 2011
lectures offered in English
Nicolas Tenzer proposes a number of talks based on his last book Le Monde à l’horizon 2030. La règle et
le désordre, Perrin, 2011
1. The New Roots of World Leadership and Influence. Where is the Soft Power?
2. The World in 2030: Primary Trends and Challenges
3. The World in Twenty Years. What Role for France?
4. EU: Decline or Rebirth? Towards 2030
If you would like to invite this author, please fill out the application form and email it to:
Anne-Sophie Hermil, Tel: 212 439 1467 |anne-sophie.hermil@diplomatie.gouv.fr