Nearly one in two departmental councilors deplores the lack of means at their disposal to act in their territory, only a quarter of them feeling satisfied with decentralization in France, indicates an Ifop study published on Monday.
For 46% of departmental councilors, the lack of means to act constitutes the main obstacle to the exercise of their functions, reveals the study carried out among 658 councilors and departmental councilors from September 28 to October 13, 2020.
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According to the Assembly of Departments of France, the departmental advisers are 4,108 in all.
For a third of those questioned by Ifop (33%), the slowness of decision-making and project progress is also a difficulty in their mandate, while only 27% of them give a positive judgment on the decentralization in France, specifies the survey.
"
These findings reflect a paradox between the scope of the departmental mission and the structural brakes faced by elected officials in their exercise,
" responded Dominique Bussereau, president of the Assembly of Departments of France (AdF), quoted in a press release. .
The departments have in fact been heavily involved in the management of the health crisis with very serious consequences on their financial situation.
The "
finances of the departments (were) impacted by the explosion of social spending due to the crisis, in particular on the RSA component and the reform of local taxation, strong centralization of decision-making on territorial policies
", recalled Mr. Bussereau.
Last week, the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) also complained about the economic consequences of the health crisis for municipalities.
"
The expenses were important to plug the breaches linked to the failure of the State in its territorial organization, particularly in terms of logistics
", affirmed its president François Baroin.
To read also: François Baroin urges the State to be at the "rendezvous of the repair of the country"
Before the presentation on Wednesday in the Council of Ministers of the bill which should fix the departmental and regional elections in June instead of March due to the health crisis, a large majority (81%) of councilors wish to run for a new mandate despite constraints.
