Le temps des maires. L'allongement du mandat en 1929 : une redéfinition de l'espace politique municipal

Abstract

Managing the Mandate. The 1929 Act on the extended mayoral term and the redefinition of political space in France Guillaume Marrel Renaud Payre Since the 1929 Act the mayoral term has been extended from four to six years. Although it is now forgotten, this act offers an opportunity to analyse how a new definition of local authority's power could emerge at commune level. One of the first steps towards the temporal codification of municipal power, the bill was passed at the end of a twenty-year long debate in which the program of municipal reforms met some aspects of politicians' corporate interests. The purpose was to improve municipal management, which was undergoing transformation. A longer term was introduced as a compromise between two aspects of mayoral legitimacy: responsibility and election. It created a new character to be supported by some municipal reformers: the « urban manager ». First of all, it allowed elected representatives who had to face hazardous ballots based on universal franchise to get « notable » statuses. Hence the idea was not so much to improve municipal management as to reduce risks for some politicians who had to pay attention to their electoral carreer. As very special "notables" "cumulards" (holders of several elected positions) got hold of this proposed municipal reform.. On a political point of view being supported by interest groups such as the national association of mayors (Association des Maires de France) and the parliamentary group of senateurs-maires, they managed to have the bill passed.