Yes/ There is a failure to build these communities
By Raphaël Schellenberger, LR deputy for Haut-Rhin
The two territorial reorganization laws adopted in 2015 were made in haste. Faced with the absence of structural reform, François Hollande had to “give Brussels a pledge”. These regions and XXL intermunicipalities do not work, move away from the citizen and damage democracy.
While the other European countries have opted for a strong decentralized organization, this is reflected in the powers of local authorities and the means at their disposal to exercise them. In France, the increase in the size of local authorities leads one to believe in an increase in resources, when this is not the case.
The failure of this reform is evident today. Democratic failure, because our fellow citizens do not recognize themselves in these mega-territories. They do not reflect any geographical, economic, social or cultural reality. It is also impossible to name these regions simply. No sense of belonging leads to lack of democratic participation and political indifference.
Then there is a failure to build those communities. On the one hand, the region mergers did not allow any savings. On the contrary, travel and communication costs have skyrocketed. On the other hand, policies built on different realities within the same large region lead to incomprehensible situations: either the policy is unique and the regions ultimately become tools of regional centralization, or these policies are themselves differentiated and lead to a complexification of a system which distances it from the citizen.
We must therefore return to this division, on the occasion of the local electoral sequence of 2028. Smaller regions, adapted to real and experienced territories, within which the departments could be merged into a single community. This is also the evaluation of public policies, knowing how to go back on one’s mistakes.
No/ Boldness is needed to enable true decentralization
By Carole Delga, PS President of Occitanie and Regions of France
The French have the feeling that politics can no longer change the course of destiny: the feeling of “locked up”, “frozen” classes, whether popular or middle class, urban or rural, as Agathe Cagé describes it. This creates despair among our fellow citizens. This is a great ambition for our country: to give everyone new horizons, to reopen possibilities through education, training, mobility, work or regional planning.
France needs to be reformed to be fairer and more efficient. But this reform must be clear about its objectives. It takes audacity to engage in real decentralization that brings decisions closer to the field, they will only be more adapted to needs. The audacity to choose differentiation, especially for overseas territories and Corsica.
The regions have, with their new perimeter and their powers, a powerful capacity for action for inhabitants and businesses. They demonstrated this during the Covid crisis and then by increasing their investments by 2 billion euros to support the recovery.
Two studies have demonstrated the strength of large regions in terms of the economy, jobs and citizen satisfaction. They are major levers for the creation of sectors, such as those of renewable energies, to support our farmers in their ecological conversion or to deploy daily trains.
So institutional reform is necessary, yes, but we must take inspiration from our European neighbours. We must give more power to act to local actors in order to improve people’s lives. No bad electoral maneuver that would cost France dearly. We have the political maturity for a real Republic of the territories.