Voices from France: A Rural Mayor's Perspective

Marie-Claude Forestier, mayor of a 450-inhabitant commune in Aveyron, reflects on local democracy:

"People imagine being mayor of a small commune is playing at democracy, but it's the opposite—it's democracy at its most intense. I know every family, their problems, their hopes. When we discuss the budget, it's not abstract numbers but choosing between fixing the church roof or the school playground. The paperwork from the state keeps growing, the norms multiply, the financial constraints tighten. Inter-municipal cooperation helps with technical services but distances decisions from citizens.

My real power isn't in the official competencies but in bringing people together, mediating conflicts, representing their voice upward. The tragedy would be losing these small communes in the name of efficiency. Yes, it costs more to maintain 35,000 mayors than 3,000, but what price do you put on having someone who answers the phone when you call, who marries your children and buries your parents, who fights for the village's survival? This proximity is France's democratic treasure."