Dirigisme and the Challenge of Competition Law in France

Authors

• David J. Gerber, Chicago-Kent College of Law
• Richard Azarnia, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Abstract

The article examines the tension between France's dirigiste traditions and the introduction of competition law, particularly through the 1986 Competition Statute. While the statute aimed to establish legal principles to protect competition and reduce government discretion, the enduring influence of dirigisme—emphasizing state control and administrative prerogatives—continues to challenge the effectiveness of competition law. The *Ville de Pamiers* case highlights this conflict, as it tests the boundaries of competition law's applicability to public services and administrative acts. The analysis reveals that the struggle to balance competition law with dirigiste traditions reflects broader conflicts in redefining the role of government in a liberalizing economy.

Disciplines

Comparative and Foreign Law | Contracts | Law

Recommended Citation

David J. Gerber & Richard Azarnia, Dirigisme and the Challenge of Competition Law in France, 3 Cardozo J. Int'l & Comp. L. 9 (1995).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cjicl/vol3/iss1/4