Preliminary communication

Local Democracy in France: Improvements and Shilly-Shallying

Michele Breuillard ; retired research fellow, France

Abstract

The paper presents an up to date analysis of the French local government system and its potential for realisation of local democracy. It is structured into three sections in which the pros and cons, the improvements and shilly-shallying delineate local democracy in France. First, through the restricted French vision that participative democracy only supplements, not enriches representative democracy. Second, the structural and organisational crisis of representative local democracy will be examined against the context of continuing process of decentralisation. Finally, the paper concludes that the way local democracy is being defined and operated in France today raises more questions than it provides answers. Whichever the point of view is taken, several questions need answers. To which degree are representatives answerable? Can participative democracy end up into no democracy?

Keywords

local government – France; local democracy; participative and representative democracy

Hrčak ID:

142727

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/142727

Publication date:

28.6.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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