l'état, c'est moi

English

Alternative forms

• l'etat, c'est moi
• l'état c'est moi

Etymology

Borrowed from French l’état, c’est moi (“I am the state”), which Louis XIV apocryphally said per an anecdote representing the tyranny of France before the French Revolution.

Phrase

l'état, c'est moi

1. Used to signify one's exercise of power in a dictatiorial, repressive and/or charismatic manner.
   • 1986 January 16, Ian Buruma, “Who Can Redeem Mother Filipinas?”, in The New York Review of Books‎^[1]:

     'Marcos and the First Lady wanted more than anything else [...] to be king and queen. They wished to shape the kingdom in their own image; [...] Marcos wanted to be able to say, 'L'état c'est moi.'

   • 2017 February 10, Paul Krugman, “Opinion | When the Fire Comes”, in New York Times‎^[2]:

     But what’s even worse is the way Sean Spicer, Mr. Trump’s spokesman, framed the issue: Nordstrom’s business decision was a “direct attack” on the president’s policies. L’état, c’est moi.

References

• “l'état, c'est moi”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.