A new book based on the diary of Georges Pompidou's doctor reveals how the illnesses of French leaders were concealed for decades. Pompidou's case, who died in 1974 while in office, is just one example of a common practice: keeping the health status of leaders secret. For citizens, this raises a transparency issue, as key public decisions may be influenced by physical or mental conditions unknown to the population.
Government transparency and open data: lessons for development 🔍
The leak of these medical diaries recalls current debates on transparency in digital platforms and open government. In the technological field, opacity regarding server status or public decision-making algorithms generates similar distrust. If an operating system hides its critical failures, users lose control. Likewise, when a leader conceals their health, citizens cannot assess whether their decisions respond to the public interest or personal limitations. Transparency, both in code and in health, is a requirement for trust.
The doctor also lies, but with better handwriting 😷
Apparently, the Hippocratic Oath includes a secret clause: you shall conceal everything that could make the patient lose votes. Because, let's be honest, if a president has a simple cold, the opposition already sees it as a symptom of nuclear weakness. Thanks to these diaries, we now know that the main risk of governing France is not a political crisis, but that your doctor publishes your test results in the form of a posthumous book. Next time, it's better that the doctor also swears to keep quiet on social media.