Decentralisation in socialist France: The politics of pragmatism

The policy of decentralisation of the French Socialist Government has been described by President François Mitterrand as the ‘grande affaire du septennat’. It is still too early to evaluate its impact, but the reforms, both by their number and their wide‐reaching nature, constitute a profound change in the process of decision making. However, they do not involve changes in territorial structures, nor do they affect some basic practices such as the ‘cumul des mandats’. The reforms provide for a better integration of the various territorial components of the nation and strengthen certain local elites, but they may well reinforce the highly bureaucratic nature of the French politico‐administrative system.