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| Regional Council of Réunion | |
|---|---|
| Name | Regional Council of Réunion |
| Native name | Conseil régional de La Réunion |
| House type | Regional deliberative assembly |
| Foundation | 1982 |
| Leader title | President |
| Members | 45 |
| Meeting place | Saint-Denis, Réunion |
Regional Council of Réunion The Regional Council of Réunion is the elected deliberative assembly for the French overseas department and region of Réunion. Established under decentralisation reforms associated with the 1982 decentralisation laws and the Defferre laws, it exercises regional competencies within the legal framework of the French Fifth Republic. The assembly sits in Saint-Denis, Réunion and interacts with metropolitan bodies such as the Conseil d'État (France), the Constitutional Council of France, and departments like Seine-Saint-Denis through policy networks.
Origins of the Regional Council trace to debates during the administration of François Mitterrand and the premiership of Pierre Mauroy, when the Defferre laws established regions as territorial collectivities. The first regional elections followed the institutional reforms that also affected bodies like the National Assembly (France) and the Senate (France), aligning regional representation with the French model used in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Île-de-France. Over successive terms the assembly addressed local challenges connected to trade links with Madagascar, aviation links like Roland Garros Airport, energy issues related to Électricité de France and social policy concerns similar to debates in Guadeloupe and Martinique. Political shifts involved parties such as the Socialist Party (France), the Union for a Popular Movement, the French Communist Party, and local groups akin to Pour La Réunion. Legal contests have reached administrative tribunals including the Cour administrative d'appel de Bordeaux and occasionally the Conseil constitutionnel.
The Regional Council comprises 45 councillors elected by proportional lists with majority bonus, a method comparable to elections in Corsica and French Guiana. Internal bodies include standing committees patterned after metropolitan regional councils, such as commissions for transport, education, and economic development which coordinate with institutions like Université de La Réunion and agencies resembling Agence française de développement. Executive functions are vested in a president and an executive bureau, mirroring structures seen in Pays de la Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Party groups within the chamber have included representatives from Les Républicains (France), La République En Marche!, Europe Ecology – The Greens, and local lists formed around leaders with ties to trade unions like the Confédération générale du travail and professional bodies similar to the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de La Réunion.
Presidential leadership of the council has rotated through politicians who have also served in offices such as Deputy (France), Senator (France), and municipal mayors from communes like Saint-Paul, Réunion and Saint-Pierre, Réunion. Elections comply with the electoral code administered by the Ministry of the Interior (France) and supervised by prefects drawn from the Ministry of Overseas France. Campaigns often reference landmark projects tied to figures like Édouard Balladur and policies debated in the National Assembly (France). Coalition-building mirrors patterns seen in regional contests in Brittany and Occitanie, and run-off dynamics have occasionally led to agreements with national parties such as Radical Party of the Left or local federations linked to the Union for French Democracy.
Statutory competences derive from statutes enacted by the French Parliament and jurisprudence of the Conseil d'État (France). The council manages regional transport networks including roads and regional aeronautics infrastructure comparable to projects in Nouvelle-Calédonie, supports vocational training through institutions resembling Pôle emploi and Chambre des métiers et de l'artisanat, and funds cultural initiatives that collaborate with museums like the Musée Léon-Dierx. Economic development programs coordinate with the European Union funding instruments and national agencies such as Caisse des dépôts et consignations. Environmental and land planning actions interact with conservation entities like the Parc national de La Réunion and regulatory frameworks influenced by decisions from the European Court of Justice.
The council’s budget combines locally voted revenues with transfers from the State (France), shared taxation mechanisms modelled after metropolitan arrangements, and eligible European Structural and Investment Funds allocations. Expenditure lines include transport infrastructure, secondary education (lycées) maintenance similar to investments in Hauts-de-France, and economic assistance to sectors like tourism and fisheries that interface with ports used for routes to Mauritius and Madagascar. Financial oversight is subject to audits by bodies analogous to the Cour des comptes (France), and fiscal adjustments respond to macroeconomic guidance from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (France).
The council convenes in a purpose-built assembly seat located in Saint-Denis, Réunion, proximate to municipal institutions such as the Saint-Denis City Hall and transport hubs like Le Port, Réunion. Facilities host plenary sessions, committee meetings, and public consultations partnering with educational actors like Université de La Réunion and cultural venues akin to the Maison Carrère. Security and public access follow protocols established by the Prefect of Réunion and national standards used in assemblies across France.
The council maintains formal and informal ties with the French Government, the European Commission, neighbouring Indian Ocean entities such as Mauritius and Comoros, and overseas collectivities including Mayotte. It participates in cooperation frameworks with metropolitan regions like Bretagne and transregional initiatives coordinated through networks similar to Assembly of European Regions. Partnerships extend to multilateral development agencies such as the Agence française de développement and bilateral relations handled alongside the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France).
Category:Politics of Réunion Category:Regional councils of France