While the Phile parliamentarians are losing influence, local elected representatives are gaining more and more. The fragmentation of the National Assembly since June 2022 and the slightest knowledge by Members of Parliament of the realities on the ground, a consequence of the end of the accumulation of mandates, offer local elected representatives ingenious room for manoeuvre unpublished that it may be useful to explore with them. 
Even if it takes a while to materialize, decentralization aspirations are being expressed everywhere - and even at the highest levels of government: at the 65th anniversary of the Conseil Constitutionnel, in October 2023, the President himself expressed his desire to initiate a decentralization process that is both bold and adapted to each region. At local level, it is not just a question of principles, but also of a profound transformation of our country's administration. The desire for decentralization reflects a conviction: the regions know what to do, provided they are not unnecessarily restricted. They have... an entrepreneurial spirit.
Elected representatives have been saying it for years, but the French are also firmly convinced. A recent survey by the CSA Institute shows that 95% of French people consider the current territorial organization to be unclear, and would like to see it reformed. Three out of four French people believe that decentralization is "a good thing", and would like to see it strengthened to ensure greater proximity between decision-makers and citizens, but also to better adapt to the specific nature of each territory.
This aspiration, and the changes that have resulted or will result from it, only increase the importance of developing a territorial approach to public affairs in many areas. As regionalization intensifies and metropolises gain in power, local elected representatives become key players in public policy. Possessing both resources and decision-making capacity, they increasingly constitute a significant counterweight to centralized decision-making in the capital.
Against this backdrop, companies need to grasp the strategic value of relying, in addition to local action, on networks of local elected representatives to promote their interests. Partnerships with associations of elected representatives are on the increase, as in the case of Airbnb and the AMRF (Association des Maires ruraux de France), who have joined forces to stimulate tourism in rural areas and defend the group's interests in the face of various legislation on furnished tourist accommodation.
The growing influence of the Régions de France and, in particular, of its president Carole Delga, has made this club of "major elected representatives" an emerging political force in the face of the French state, particularly in the areas of economic development, transport and vocational training, all of which fall within the region's remit. The power of the AMF (Association des Maires de France et des présidents d'Intercommunalités - Association of French Mayors and Presidents of Inter-communal Bodies) also needs no further demonstration. The recent Congress of Mayors once again illustrated the growing power of figures such as David Lisnard, President of the AMF, who are increasingly influencing national politics from their local strongholds, and who can play a part in ensuring that issues "brought to their attention" from here and there are taken into account at national level.
Federating coalitions of allies from the local to the national level is a strategy that pays off when it comes to influencing public decision-making: local elected representatives who are part of such coalitions become the best spokespeople if they can be convinced of the merits of the expected action, which often echoes their own concerns on the ground, their experience as elected representatives and that of their constituents.
The power of territorial coalitions is often irresistible - Vae Solis has experienced this on several occasions in the service of its Public Affairs clients. Each case naturally requires careful identification of the right level of influence and the right composition for the coalition that is most likely to achieve concrete progress.
| Focus : Delegation delegation aux outre-mer and the LIOT parliamentary group As part of a territorial approach to public affairs, it's worth taking a look at the specific nature of parliamentary delegations and cross-party political groups. By its very nature and mission, the overseas delegation, made up of all the elected representatives from the French overseas territories, is an influential parliamentary force which, in a context of relative majority in the National Assembly, transcends political sensitivities and can influence executive decisions. For example, the transparent lobbying of parliamentarians from the French overseas territories forced the government to make strong commitments to reduce the impact of chlordecone pollution on the populations of the French West Indies. Furthermore, the creation in June 2022 of the Libertés, Indépendants, Outre-mer et Territoires (LIOT) parliamentary group, made up of 21 MPs from all political backgrounds, including five elected representatives from the French overseas territories, has strengthened the influence of these territories. This group has even been described as a kind of response to the non-accumulation of mandates, thanks to its ability to represent the interests of these territories in the face of other, more traditional political groups. |
Jean-Baptiste Aricat (Consultant), Thomas Coulom (Consultant), Paul Rolland (Senior Consultant)
