Decentralization: the main points unveiled on December 17th at the Council of Ministers meeting

"At the Council of Ministers on December 17 (...) a communication will be made on the main points", before the drafting of the bill and its passage before the Council of State and "during March, there will be a bill which will also take into account (...) municipal police forces and what relates to transport", said Françoise Gatel at a press conference.

"The objective is simple and clear, it is (...) how we improve health, how we improve transport, how we improve housing," she added after a working meeting with representatives of associations of elected officials, parliamentarians and several ministers.

Among the points of consensus, Ms. Gatel cited housing, which "can no longer be a policy defined in Paris," which notably involves expanding the power of mayors in the allocation of social housing.

The minister also argued for "in-depth and serious work on finances" which will take place at a later stage, advocating for the allocation of a share of CSG to the departments.

Regarding the regional health agencies, which the Prime Minister wants to "reform thoroughly", she explained that in the departments "the conductor is the prefect".

"The agencies cannot be autonomous on behalf of the State, so there is political steering," she said, without specifying whether their powers would be modified as Mr. Lecornu wishes.

During his general policy statement on October 14, Sébastien Lecornu promised a new act of decentralization to "strengthen local power".

"We must not decentralize skills, we must decentralize responsibilities with budgetary and fiscal resources and freedoms, including normative ones," the head of government had stated.

A second "Roquelaure of simplification", which follows a first meeting on April 28, is also to be held on December 9.