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Article: Fiefs galore. (regional development in France) (A Survey of France)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- November 23, 1991
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1991 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE idea of spreading the government of France away from Paris was sown under De Gaulle but first blossomed under the Mitterrand administration. The president, who had long criticised the constitution he was later to revel in, needed to offer a counterweight to his socialist prescription. So he nationalised-fleetingly-with one hand, and decentralised more durably with the other.
France's 22 regions were given their first real powers in 1982, and their identity was further boosted in 1986 when they started to choose their regional councils in direct elections. These changes created four levels of government in France: the state, 22 regions, 96 departments, and no ...