In France, the President of the Departmental Council (French: Président du Conseil départemental) is the locally elected head of the departmental council, the assembly governing a department in France. The position is elected by the departmental councillors from among their number. If there is a tie, the councillor senior of age is elected.
As per Articles L1111-1 to L7331-3 of the General code of local and regional authorities, the responsibilities of the President of the Departmental Council include:[1][2]
- Chairing the departmental authorities
- Preparing and implementing the council's decisions
- Collection of tax revenues
- Representing the department in legal cases
History
In 1833, a law was enacted that gave each canton (subdivision of a department) representation of a councillor (Conseiller général).[3]
As a result of the decentralisation of government (Deferre law), the election criteria were redefined in 1982 and the President of the Departmental Council took over executive powers from the centrally-appointed prefect.[4]
Women presidents
| Term | Name | Department | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–1982 | Évelyne Baylet | Tarn-et-Garonne | [5] |
| 1982–1985 | Lucette Michaux-Chevry | Guadeloupe | [6] |
| 1985–1994 | Janine Bardou | Lozère | [7] |
| 1991–2011 | Anne d'Ornano | Calvados | [8] |
| 1998–2004 | Marisol Touraine | Indre-et-Loire | [9][10] |
| 2004–2015 | Marie-Françoise Pérol-Dumont | Haute-Vienne | [11][12] |
| 2004–2017 | Nassimah Dindar | Réunion | [13] |
| 2008–2011 | Claude Roiron | Indre-et-Loire | [14] |
| 2008–2011 | Josette Durrieu | Hautes-Pyrénées | [15] |
| 2010–present | Hermeline Malherbe-Laurent | Pyrénées-Orientales | [16] |
| 2011–2015 | Josette Manin | Martinique | [17] |
| 2014–present | Anne Hidalgo | Paris | [18] |
List of the presidents of the departmental councils
Allowance
The president of a department council has a maximum allowance of €5441 per month, the vice-presidents has a maximum allowance of €128.83-725.44, members of the standing committee have maximum allowances of €672.65-927.13, and departmental advisors have maximum allowances of €1501-2,626 per month.[115]