Editing Nantes (section)

===Local government===
{{Further|List of mayors of Nantes}}
[[File:Nantes - Hotel de ville 02.jpg|thumb|alt=Photo of the city hall|[[Hôtel de Ville, Nantes|Hôtel de Ville]] (City Hall)]]
[[File:Johanna Rolland, maire de Nantes..jpg|thumb|alt=Photo of the mayor of Nantes|Johanna Rolland, mayor of Nantes since 2014]]
Nantes is the {{Lang|fr|[[Prefectures in France|préfecture]]}} (capital city) of the [[Loire-Atlantique]] ''[[departments of France|département]]'' and the [[Pays de la Loire]] {{Lang|fr|[[regions of France|région]]}}. It is the residence of a {{Lang|fr|région}} and ''département'' ''prefect'', local representatives of the [[Government of France|French government]]. Nantes is also the meeting place of the {{Lang|fr|région}} and ''département'' councils, two elected political bodies.

The city is administered by a mayor and a council, elected every six years. The council has 65 councillors.{{sfn|Vos 65 élu-e-s}} It originated in 1410, when [[John V, Duke of Brittany]] created the Burghers's Council. The assembly was controlled by wealthy merchants and the Lord Lieutenant. After the union of Brittany and France, the burghers petitioned the French king to give them a city council which would enhance their freedom; their request was granted by [[Francis II of France|Francis II]] in 1559. The new council had a mayor, ten aldermen and a crown prosecutor. The first council was elected in 1565 with Nantes's first mayor, Geoffroy Drouet.{{sfn|Le pouvoir municipal}} The present city council is a result of the [[French Revolution]] and a 4 December 1789 act. The current [[Mayor (France)|mayor]] of Nantes is Johanna Rolland ([[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]]), who was elected on 4 April 2014. The party has held a majority since 1983, and Nantes has become a [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] stronghold.{{sfn|Antoine Gazeau|2013}} The city council is based at the [[Hôtel de Ville, Nantes|Hôtel de Ville]] (City Hall).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pss-archi.eu/immeubles/FR-44109-5951.html  |title=Hôtel-de-Ville – Hôtel de Derval|publisher=PSS Architecture|access-date=16 October 2024}}</ref>

Since 1995, Nantes has been divided into 11 neighbourhoods (''quartiers''), each with an advisory committee and administrative agents. City-council members are appointed to each ''quartier'' to consult with the local committees. The neighbourhood committees, existing primarily to facilitate dialogue between citizens and the local government, meet twice a year.{{sfn|Le dialogue citoyen}}

Like most [[communes of France|French municipalities]], Nantes is part of an [[communes in France#Intercommunality|intercommunal]] structure which combines the city with 24 smaller, neighbouring communes. Called [[Nantes Métropole]], it encompasses the city's [[metropolitan area]] and had a population of 609,198 in 2013. Nantes Métropole administers urban planning, transport, public areas, waste disposal, energy, water, housing, higher education, economic development, employment and European topics.{{sfn|Les compétences de}} As a consequence, the city council's mandates are security, primary and secondary education, early childhood, social aid, culture, sport and health.{{sfn|Compétences de la}} Nantes Métropole, created in 1999, is administered by a council consisting of the 97 members of the local municipal councils. According to an act passed in 2014, beginning in 2020, the metropolitan council will be elected by the citizens of Nantes Métropole. The council is currently overseen by Rolland.{{sfn|Une organisation au}}