Regional Council (France)

This article is part of the series on Administrative divisions of France

Main article

Regions (incl. overseas regions)

Departments (incl. overseas departments)

Arrondissements

Cantons

Intercommunality Urban communities Agglomeration communities Commune communities Syndicates of New Agglomeration

Communes Associated communes Municipal arrondissements

Others in Overseas France Overseas collectivities Sui generis collectivity Overseas country Overseas territory Clipperton Island

A Regional Council (French: conseil régional) is the elected assembly of a region of France.

History

Regional councils were created by law on 5 July 1972. Originally they were simply consultative bodies consisting of the region's parliamentary representatives plus an equal number of members nominated by the departments and municipalities. The decentralisation programme of 1982-1983 provided for direct election which began in 1986 and increased the powers of the Councils. Actual councils will be disbanded in 2014, and they will be substitued by the union of the General Councils of each region.

Operation

The Assemblies elect their own Presidents who preside over the meetings and head the Regional Executive.

Electoral System

Before 2004

Between 1986 and 2004, regional councils were elected by Closed list Proportional Representation. The National Front was frequently left with the balance of power as a result and this led to a change in the electoral law.

Since 2004

Since 2004 three quarters of the seats continue to be elected by proportional representation with each list having an equal number of male and female candidates. The other quarter are given to the list that received the most votes. In order to gain these top up seats, a list must have gained an absolute majority of the votes in the first round. If this has not been achieved a second round is held with each party that gained at least ten percent of the votes competing. The party that wins a plurality in this round gains the bonus seats. It is common in this round for lower ranking parties to withdraw in favour of parties they have entered into an alliance with.

This can however potentially mean that a list that gained fewer votes in the first round and thus fewer proportional seats can end up the overall winner.

List of councils

• Alsace Regional Council
• Regional Council of Brittany
• Corsican Assembly (collectivité territoriale)

External links

• Région Alsace - Conseil Régional
• Région Aquitaine - Conseil Régional
• Région Auvergne - Conseil Régional
• Région Bourgogne - Conseil Régional
• Région Bretagne - Conseil Régional
• Région Centre - Conseil Régional
• Région Champagne-Ardenne - Conseil Régional
• Collectivité Territoriale de Corse
• Région Franche-Comté - Conseil Régional
• Région Guyane - Conseil Régional
• Région Guadeloupe - Conseil Régional
• Région Ile-de-France - Conseil Régional
• Région Languedoc-Roussillon - Conseil Régional
• Région Limousin - Conseil Régional
• Région Lorraine - Conseil Régional
• Région Basse-Normandie - Conseil Régional
• Région Martinique - Conseil Régional
• Région Midi-Pyrénées - Conseil Régional
• Région Nord-Pas-de-Calais - Conseil Régional
• Région Pays de la Loire - Conseil Régional
• Région Picardie - Conseil Régional
• Région Poitou-Charentes - Conseil Régional
• Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - Conseil Régional
• Région Réunion - Conseil Régional
• Région Rhône-Alpes - Conseil Régional
• Région Haute-Normandie - Conseil Régional