TERRITORIAL REFORM IN FRANCE IN 2014–2015

Abstract

The strategy of reforming state territorial administration in France has undergone essential changes in the 21 st century. These changes were caused by a new social, economic and political situation. A problem of expansion of powers of local governments and their autonomy, which played the central role in the policy of decentralization at the end of the last century, has gradually given way to other priorities, such as streamlining of organizational structure of territorial administration, integration of territorial units, increasing efficiency of local governments performance. Corresponding changes have found reflection in recent territorial reform of the President F. Hollande in 2014–2015. The scale and importance of these transformations is comparable with the largest reform towards decentralization of public administration in 1980-s. During this period were undertaken important decisions, concerning consolidation and increasing the role of regions and intercommunal communities (metropolis) in social and economic development and also delimitation of competences between authorities of different level. In general in the strategy of reform in 2014–2015 is traced not so much towards decentralization, but rather toward recentralization of territorial administration.