Aux origines du «compromis républicain». La contribution des associations de maires aux règles du jeu politique sous la IIIe République

Abstract

Revisiting the rise of the « compromis républicain » (republican compromise) : the role of mayors'associations in the institutionnal game under the Third Republic Patrick Le Lidec This article analyses relationships between central and local government during the French Third Republic. Focused on mayors' associations, it argues that the collective strategies for both members of parliament and mayors create salient interactions that shape the generai pattern of the French republican regime, giving local liberties a pivotal role. Thus, the paper shows how parliament's power and local government autonomy strengthen each other while they weaken the executive. This institutional arrangement is one of the core dynamics of the French Third Republic.