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| Conseil régional de la région Midi-Pyrénées | |
|---|---|
| Name | Conseil régional de la région Midi-Pyrénées |
| Established | 1972 |
| Disbanded | 2016 |
| Successor | Occitanie |
| Jurisdiction | Midi-Pyrénées |
| Headquarters | Toulouse |
| Members | 73 |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Martin Malvy |
Conseil régional de la région Midi-Pyrénées was the elected deliberative assembly of the former Midi-Pyrénées territorial collectivity in France until the 2016 territorial reform that created Occitanie. The body sat in Toulouse and coordinated regional policy across departments including Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Ariège, Aveyron, and Hautes-Pyrénées. It operated within the framework of the Constitution of France, interacting with national ministries such as the Ministry of the Interior and agencies like Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie.
The regional council originated after the decentralization laws of France in the early 1970s and the passage of the Loi Defferre which expanded the competencies of regional collectivities; its institutional evolution linked to reforms under presidents François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac. Elections under the Proportional representation system and later changes reflected shifts involving parties such as the Socialist Party, Union for a Popular Movement, Radical Party of the Left, National Front and coalitions allied with Europe Écologie Les Verts. The 2014 territorial reform led by Manuel Valls and enacted during the presidency of François Hollande merged Midi-Pyrénées with Languedoc-Roussillon to form Occitanie effective 2016, with transitional arrangements overseen by regional executives.
Composed of 73 regional councillors elected from departmental constituencies aligned to Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Ariège, Aveyron, and Hautes-Pyrénées, the council organized itself into political groups representing parties such as PS, UMP, Radical Party, EELV and smaller formations including DVG and DVD. Internal structures included standing committees modeled after assemblies in Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, with commissions on transport, education, culture and economic development; the bureau and presidium mirrored practices in Senate committees. Administrative services coordinated with entities like Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Toulouse and Région Midi-Pyrénées services.
Presidents such as Martin Malvy (PS) led executive functions while campaign contests featured notable figures from parties including Socialist Party (France), UMP, FN, and regionalist movements connected to Occitanism. Regional elections followed the calendar set by the Constitution of France and laws on territorial collectivities with lists, thresholds and majority bonus mechanisms scrutinized in debates involving scholars from Sciences Po and practitioners from Conseil d'État. Coalitions formed with parties like Radical Party of the Left and environmentalists from Europe Écologie Les Verts influenced presidencies and policy majorities until the 2015–2016 merger.
The council exercised competencies in areas devolved under the Defferre law and subsequent statutes, managing regional high schools and vocational training in coordination with the Ministry of National Education, regional transport networks including TER services operated with SNCF, economic development initiatives with BPI France stakeholders, and cultural promotion tied to Occitan language heritage institutions. It administered regional planning instruments comparable to Schéma régional d'aménagement (SRA) frameworks and collaborated on environmental measures with Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie and Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées Ariégeoises authorities. Competence boundaries were negotiated with departmental councils such as Conseil départemental de la Haute-Garonne and national prefects like the Prefect of Midi-Pyrénées.
The regional assembly adopted multiannual budgets adhering to rules under the Code général des collectivités territoriales, balancing operating and capital expenditures for infrastructure projects including regional road works and university funding for institutions such as Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier and Université Toulouse I Capitole. Revenue streams combined local taxes coordinated with Direction générale des Finances publiques, allocations from the State and European funds administered through European Regional Development Fund mechanisms. Audit functions involved Cour des comptes oversight and internal controls patterned after standards used in Île-de-France budgetary practices.
Major initiatives included support for the aerospace cluster around Toulouse-Blagnac Airport and firms such as Airbus, investment in research with centers like Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique laboratories and collaborations with INSA Toulouse and CNES, and rural development programs targeting Gers and Aveyron. Cultural programs promoted Occitan heritage through partnerships with Festival de Carcassonne and museums like Musée des Augustins. Transport projects prioritized TER modernization with SNCF and regional road upgrades, while economic strategies fostered ties to Cluster Aerospace, Cité de l'Espace and export promotion via Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Toulouse.
The council maintained intergovernmental relations with the State (France), regional councils such as Languedoc-Roussillon Regional Council, the newly formed Occitanie authorities, European institutions including the European Commission, and cross-border cooperation with Catalonia and Aragon under programs similar to Interreg. It engaged with national agencies like ADEME and DREAL and academic partners including Université Toulouse II Jean Jaurès and Paul Sabatier University for policy research and program implementation, while liaising with sectoral federations such as Fédération Régionale des Travaux Publics.
Category:Politics of Midi-Pyrénées Category:Former regional councils of France