Regionalisation à la Française: the scope of the right to experiment

Authors

  • CRISTINA ARES CASTRO-CONDE

Keywords:

Regionalization, right to experimentation, France, Alsace.

Abstract

This article aims to study the meaning of the right to experimentation, established in art. 72 of the French Constitution, since its reform in March 2003. It gives a brief review of the main advances in the process of regionalization à la française, as well as the current institutional arrangements of French regions. The experience of implementation of European funds by the regional Council of Alsace from
2003-2006 is presented as illustration. The conclusion is that decentralization in France continues to be not political but administrative. Nevertheless, the right to experimentation, at least in theory, allows most willing and able regions to make further progress.

Published

2009-02-26

Issue

Section

ARTICLES