CEPEL

Anaïs LAFAGE-COUTENS

Thesis supervisor: Emmanuel Négrier (CEPEL); Vincent Simoulin (CERTOP)

Thesis since 2018

"Restructuring of territorial powers: the birth of Occitanie"
"Restructuring of territorial powers: Occitanie's Birth"

Summary/Abstract

A major reform, through the law of January 27, 2014 on the "modernization of local public action and the affirmation of metropolitan areas" (known as the MAPTAM law), the law of January 16, 2015 on the "delimitation of regions, regional and departmental elections and modifying the electoral calendar," and the law on "the new territorial organization of the Republic" promulgated on August 7, 2015 (known as the NOTRe law) and implemented on January 1, 2016, brings significant changes to the organization of the regions.

This thesis attempts to understand the reconfiguration of territorial powers between regions undergoing restructuring and metropolises emerging as a result of this territorial reform. To this end, the case study of the new Occitanie Pyrénées-Méditerranée region was chosen. The method used is inductive, drawing on organizational sociology, public action sociology, and political science.

A major reform, through the law of January 27, 2014 relating to the "modernization of territorial public action and the affirmation of metropolises" (known as the MAPTAM law), the law of January 16, 2015 relating to the "delimitation of regions, regional and departmental elections and modifying the electoral calendar," and the law relating to the "new territorial organization of the Republic" promulgated on August 7, 2015 (known as the NOTRE law) and implemented on January 1, 2016, makes significant changes to the organization of the regions.

This thesis work attempts to understand the reconfiguration of territorial powers between regions that are restructuring and metropolises that are emerging as a result of this territorial reform. To do this, the case study of the new Occitania Pyrenees-Mediterranean Region was chosen. The method used is an inductive method from a perspective of sociology of organizations, sociology of public action, and political science.

*keywords, FR + ENG

Regionalization, Public policy, Politics, Merger, Metropolitanization

Regionalization; Policies, Politics, Merge, Metropolization

Publications and communications

Article

  • Lafage-Coutens, A., Prenat-Ville, C., & Simoulin, V., 2019 The political and organizational construction of the Occitanie region. Pôle Sud, no. 50.

Communication

  • Simoulin V. and Lafage-Coutens A. The birth of a new region (Occitanie) and the questions it raises for political sociology, 4th Franco-Chinese Workshop: "New views on social sciences" November 15, 2018 –Toulouse
  • Lafage-Coutens A., Being a CIFRE doctoral student in a political field: the case of a Regional Council; Study day: "Working with and for: what approach to take in action research? From the field to epistemology ," April 4, 2019, Reims.
  • Lafage-Coutens A., Regional mergers: internal reorganization of policy portfolios, taxation, hybridization, or a new model? The case of the new Occitanie Pyrénées-Méditerranées region / Discussant: Marion Paoletti, ST 06,15thAFSPCongress, July 2-4, 2019, Bordeaux.
  • Lafage Coutens A., Political capacity for action and territorial reorganization: the case of sectoral competence for economic development within the new Occitanie region, Symposium on "Financial constraints, merger policies, multilevel governance . The challenges of territorial reform," November 7 and 8, 2019, Rennes.
  • Lafage-Coutens A., The creation of the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée region: between merger and integration processes in new public management, Discussant Philippe Bezès, Study day: "Merging public organizations," November 18, 2019 - Bordeaux

Administrative responsibilities and activities

  • Since 2018: Elected representative of doctoral students at CERTOP

Scientific responsibilities and activities

  • 2019–2020: Co-organizer of the seminar"Current Research in Social Sciences at CEPEL" (Montpellier)

Responsibilities and teaching activities

  • 2017-2018: "Empowerment and Main Trends in Economics," supervised by Arnaud Buchs, Bachelor's Degree 1, University of Toulouse 2 Jean-Jaurès (3 groups)

Education and academic degrees, honors

  • Master 2 – Institutions, Economy, and Society – School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) – 2016–2017
    Thesis: The evolution of legislation on the financing of political parties and election campaigns based on administrative archives.
  • Master 2 – Sociology and Political Philosophy – Paris Diderot University – 2015–2016
    Thesis: Transparency in political life. Example of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP).