European Community policy in France: the state bounces back

Abstract:

The implementation of European policy in France is far from having brought about a definitive decline of the state. Admittedly, over the last ten years, French local authorities have taken a very dynamic role in the management of European funds. Likewise, the state, which is not the principal user of European funds, cannot avoid the sharing of power, which is required by the Community principles of partnership and subsidiarity. This does not mean, however, that the state has stepped aside completely. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it has reorganised itself. After the strong mobilisation of the local authorities at the time of the reform of the structural funds (1989-1993), since 1994 we have noted a major redeployment of the state, which has adopted the role of intermediary between Europe and the local level. The state has rebuilt its margin for manoeuvre through its administration in the regions, whose role has been reinforced throughout the 1990s, following ten years of decentralisation. In short, the example of the implementation of European policy bears testimony to the major changes taking place in the French political system: the state of the 1990s may no longer be the interventionist, centralised state which characterised the 'French exception' for two centuries, but it is far from having withered away completely in favour of regional or local government. On the contrary, little by little, it is imposing itself in the role of a state which co-ordinates and arbitrates and whose future lies, paradoxically, in its ability to impose itself as a central figure on the local and regional scenes.

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