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| Préfecture de la Réunion | |
|---|---|
| Name | Préfecture de la Réunion |
| Native name | Préfecture de La Réunion |
| Type | Prefecture |
| Jurisdiction | Réunion |
| Headquarters | Saint-Denis, Réunion |
| Chief1 name | (see Notable Prefects) |
Préfecture de la Réunion is the central state representation of the French Republic on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It implements laws and regulations of the France central administration, coordinates interactions with institutions such as the Conseil régional de La Réunion, the Conseil départemental de La Réunion, and local communes including Saint-Denis, Réunion, Saint-Paul, Réunion, and Saint-Pierre, Réunion. The office interacts with national bodies like the Ministry of the Interior (France), the Court of Appeal of Saint-Denis, and agencies such as Agence régionale de santé and Direction régionale de l'environnement, de l'aménagement et du logement.
The institution traces its roots to the post-Revolutionary French system of territorial administration established under the Law of 28 pluviôse year VIII and successive laws of the French Third Republic. During the Colonial Empire era the role evolved alongside colonial governors and administrators who reported to ministries in Paris. In the 19th century, figures tied to events like the Abolition of slavery in the French colonies and the Franco-Prussian War influenced policy on the island, while 20th-century transformations were shaped by episodes such as World War II and the integration of Réunion as a French département in 1946. Postwar decentralization reforms under leaders associated with the Fifth Republic and statutes like the Defferre laws altered relationships among the Préfecture, regional councils, and municipal governments. Contemporary history includes responses to cyclones like Cyclone Gamede and Cyclone Bejisa, public health events linked to Zika virus and COVID-19 pandemic, and economic shifts connected to the European Union and the Indian Ocean Commission.
The Préfecture enforces national statutes such as provisions from the Constitution of France and directives from the Prime Minister of France, executing tasks including civil security coordination with Sécurité civile (France), policing oversight in partnership with the National Gendarmerie (France) and the French National Police, and crisis management alongside agencies like Météo-France and Agence France-Presse. It administers state services: issuing identity documents in concert with the Ministry of the Interior (France), supervising elections under norms promulgated by the Conseil constitutionnel, managing public order during events featuring actors like the Confédération générale du travail and Union nationale des étudiants de France, and implementing social policy derived from the Ministry of Solidarity and Health (France). It liaises with economic bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Réunion and coordinates infrastructure projects involving stakeholders like Régie des transports de l'agglomération du Saint-Denis and institutions benefiting from European Regional Development Fund support.
The Prefecture's administrative structure comprises services mirroring metropolitan counterparts: sub-prefectures, departmental directorates such as the Direction départementale des territoires, and interdepartmental units linked to the Ministry of the Interior (France), the Ministry of Ecological Transition (France), and the Ministry of Culture (France). It supervises municipal administrations including Saint-André, Réunion and Le Tampon, Réunion, oversees public procurement under the Code des marchés publics, and enforces regulatory frameworks like the Environmental Code (France). The Préfecture coordinates with judicial institutions such as the Tribunal administratif de Saint-Denis and national services including the Direction générale de la sécurité intérieure for counterterrorism directives and the Direction générale des finances publiques for fiscal matters.
The seat is located in Saint-Denis, Réunion near landmarks including the Cathédrale de Saint-Denis de La Réunion and the Port de Saint-Denis. The préfectoral complex includes administrative offices, ceremonial chambers, and reception spaces for visiting ministers from Paris and dignitaries from bodies like the High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia and delegations from the Indian Ocean Commission. The site has been the venue for protocol events involving delegations from Madagascar, Mauritius, and representatives of the European Union and hosts commemorations tied to national observances such as Bastille Day and memorial ceremonies referencing World War I and World War II.
Public order responsibilities involve coordination with the National Gendarmerie (France), municipal police of communes like Saint-Pierre, Réunion, emergency services such as the Service départemental d'incendie et de secours de La Réunion and healthcare bodies including the CHU Félix-Guyon. Disaster preparedness integrates planning with Météo-France, civil protection units, and international cooperation partners like the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs during crises. The Préfecture implements public health directives from the Agence régionale de santé and security measures aligned with national counterterrorism strategy shaped by institutions including the Ministry of the Armed Forces (France).
Notable individuals who have served include administrators linked with metropolitan politics and colonial administration, some later prominent in national offices associated with the Assemblée nationale (France) or the Sénat (France). Prefects sometimes engaged with figures and institutions such as Aimé Césaire, François Mitterrand, Nicolas Sarkozy, Edouard Balladur, and visited by ministers like Jean-Yves Le Drian and Gérald Darmanin. Several préfets coordinated responses to events involving actors like Cyrille Melchior and municipal leaders of Saint-Paul, Réunion.
The Préfecture has faced disputes over law enforcement practices during protests organized by unions such as the Confédération générale du travail and civic movements connected to social issues paralleling demonstrations in metropolitan centers like Paris and Marseille. Criticisms have included debates over administrative decisions tied to environmental permits contested by organizations such as France Nature Environnement and litigation in bodies like the Conseil d'État. Fiscal and procurement choices have been scrutinized under frameworks of the Cour des comptes and by local media outlets analogous to national papers such as Le Monde and Le Figaro.
Category:Government of Réunion