The shadow of death looms over the French Prime Minister's office as it faces an unprecedented organizational crisis due to repeated instances of employee suicides and serious allegations of workplace harassment.

Shocking incidents of employee suicides and suicide attempts have continued to occur within the French Prime Minister's office. In October of last year, a tragic incident occurred when an employee attempted suicide in the office, signaling the beginning of the crisis. Subsequently, in March of this year, two civil servants under the Prime Minister's office took their own lives, shocking the nation. In April of this year, an employee in charge of correspondence attempted suicide at a train station, with three suicides and two suicide attempts occurring within just six months.

Notably, the employee who attempted suicide in April submitted a workplace harassment complaint in June, bringing the severity of the situation to light. The case is currently under preliminary investigation.

Analysis suggests that the background of these tragic incidents lies in severe organizational instability and a brutal workplace culture. Following the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9, 2024, four prime ministers were replaced within two years, shaking the organizational stability of the Prime Minister's office to its core. Frequent changes of prime ministers increased policy uncertainty and exacerbated employee fatigue.

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Added to this were radical organizational restructuring to cut costs and an excessively competitive management style from private sector officials, subjecting employees to extreme pressure. Vivid testimonies from lawyers and employees reveal the true nature of workplace harassment within the Prime Minister's office. One employee's lawyer testified, saying "My client was treated as an invisible person at work. Like a student being bullied at school, they were mocked, criticized, and ostracized," shocking observers. Other employees agreed that a cruel competitive culture stating "you must step on others to succeed" dominates the Prime Minister's office.

Currently, the French Prime Minister's office is conducting its own internal investigation, while the prosecution is also carrying out a preliminary investigation. This series of incidents has revealed that the Prime Minister's office, the core of the French executive branch, suffers from serious problems throughout its organizational culture and systems that go far beyond mere personnel issues.

The French Prime Minister's office must use this crisis as an opportunity for fundamental reform spanning its organizational culture and entire system. It is urgent that the ongoing investigation leads to substantive change to ensure that such tragedies do not recur.