Unlike PPP in the UK, public-private partnerships are not the subject of ideological dispute at local level in France, where local authorities have long used private-sector or mixed public-private provision. The contracting culture in France is not one of seeking best value through market competition but of a productive alliance, negotiated with a restricted range of partners. The outcome is mixed, combining what appears to be a satisfactory service output on the ground with wide opportunity for regulatory capture, poor financial management and even corruption by political and business leaders. Thus current administrative reforms in France do not focus on introducing partnerships but on reducing their weaknesses
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