Departments and regions ‘to merge’

FRANCE’S 100 departments will “soon merge” with the 26 regions, according to a UMP Party spokesman.

Frédéric Lefebvre, MP for the Hauts-de-Seine, ignited controversy after claiming on the radio station Europe 1 that “fusion” of the two administrative levels was “coming soon.”

He made the remark during a debate about the major political projects for the year ahead. A commission headed by former prime minister Edouard Balladur is studying the issue of reform of

local government, and will make a report to feed into changes later this year.

Lefebvre said the coming reforms were “exceptionally important,” adding that the majority UMP Party’s aims included merging departments and regions and “grouping together a certain number of

regions.”

President Sarkozy has previously spoken in favour of the idea of regions joining together – citing Haute and Basse Normandie as among possible candidates.

The Balladur commission is expected to report at the end of February. The aim, according to the president and Mr Balladur is to simplify a millefeuille of different levels which include

communes, “intercommual” groupings like communautés d’agglomération, departments and regions.

Lefebvre said the current system was inefficient and wasteful. However pressed on whether Sarkozy shared his views, he said he “hoped so,” and the president had said the existing

arrangements, with “intermingled” political responsibilities for councillors at departmental and regional levels, was “incoherent.”