Struggling financially, these fifteen departments face significant monetary challenges.
On June 13, a jaw-dropping spectacle unfolded in Bordeaux. In an unprecedented move, the magistrates from the regional audit chamber presented the department of Charente's proposed budget to the public. This is a first in France! Ever since the decentralization laws back in 1982, it's been the general councils that decide their own budgets. But, due to political bickering in Charente, the council couldn't vote on the budget within the legal timeframe. The state then took charge of the department's finances temporarily and requested the regional audit chamber to whip up a budget. The judges didn't bat an eye, focusing on essential expenses and putting off non-essential expenditures, like the acquisition of a building for the departmental house of solidarity.
Now, remember when we talked about the Charente being placed under guardianship for the first time in over 25 years? It got me thinking — are we seeing more departments face this fate for financial reasons, not political ones? This is the burning question that the Court of Auditors, led by Pierre Moscovici, seemed to address in their report on local finances released on June 27. The overall picture is gloomy; departments are battling an increasingly tough financial climate. In fact, some are desperately struggling or even teetering on the brink of collapse.
However, the available search results didn't yield much on whether other departments could be heading for guardianship due to financial issues based on the Court of Auditors report. The term 'guardianship' primarily refers to personal or family legal guardianships in these sources, not financial oversight or intervention at the administrative level in France. So, we're left hanging with no concrete evidence either to confirm or deny the likelihood of other French departments facing guardianship for financial reasons. More detailed and specific information from financial or governmental reports would be needed to set the record straight. We'll keep our eyes peeled for updates!
- The Court of Auditors, led by Pierre Moscovici, appears to be addressing the concern whether more departments could face financial guardianship, as they released a report on local finances discussing the challenging financial climate many departments are facing.
- The overall financial situation of French departments, as outlined in the Court of Auditors' report, presents a concerning image with departments battling an increasingly tough financial climate and some even struggling or on the verge of collapse, suggesting a possible increase in financial guardianship cases in the near future.
