Special delegations in French local authorities

Little known to the general public, special delegations are unique bodies designed to deal with a variety of situations within French local authorities. Although local authorities are freely administered, ＂there are cases where an administrative authority must temporarily take charge of the municipality’s day-to-day affairs when decentralized decision-making powers can no longer function.＂ The special delegation, appointed by the prefect and therefore not elected by the population, appeared in France in the early 19th century and is still used in many cases today. This book offers a comprehensive, historical, and recent overview of the special delegation, which is what makes it unique.