Editing Prefectures in France

{{short description|Governmental subdivision in France}}
[[File:Départements et régions de France - Noname-2016.svg|thumb|Map of the prefectures in France with their [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques|INSEE]] number]]
In [[France]], a '''prefecture''' ({{langx|fr|préfecture}}, {{IPA|fr|pʁefɛktyʁ|pron|LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-préfecture.wav}}) may be:<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Préfectures|url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Le-ministere/Prefectures|access-date=2022-01-08|website=www.interieur.gouv.fr|language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Accueil {{!}} Les services de l'État en région|url=https://www.prefectures-regions.gouv.fr/|access-date=2022-01-08|website=www.prefectures-regions.gouv.fr}}</ref>
* the {{lang|fr|chef-lieu de département}}, the [[Communes of France|commune]] in which the administration of a [[Departments of France|department]] is located;
* the {{Lang|fr|chef-lieu de région}}, the commune in which the administration of a [[Regions of France|region]] is located;
* the jurisdiction of a prefecture;
* the official residence or headquarters of a [[Prefect (France)|prefect]].

Although the administration of departments and regions is distinct, a regional prefect is ''[[Ex officio member|ex officio]]'' prefect of the department in which the regional prefecture is located. The officeholder has authority upon the other prefects in the region on a range of matters.

==Role of the prefecture ==
There are 101 prefectures in [[France]], one for each department. The official in charge is the [[Prefect (France)|prefect]] ({{langx|fr|préfet}}). The prefecture is an administration that belongs to the [[Minister of the Interior (France)|Ministry of the Interior]]; it is therefore in charge of the delivery of identity cards, driving licenses, passports, residency and work permits for foreigners, vehicle registration, registration of [[voluntary association|associations]] (creation, status modification, dissolution), as well as of the management of the [[National Police (France)|National Police]] and [[firefighter]]s, although as of 2018, 79% of firefighters in France are part-time volunteers.

Prefectures are usually located near the geographic centre of their departments; they were originally chosen for being within a day's travel on horseback from anywhere in the department. Therefore, the largest settlement in a department may not always be its prefecture: the department of [[Marne (department)|Marne]], for example, has its prefecture at [[Châlons-en-Champagne]] despite the city of [[Reims]], near the [[Aisne]] border, being four times its size.

The prefect represents the national government at the local level and as such exercises the powers that are constitutionally attributed to the national government. The prefect issues ordinances written for the application of local law: to close a building that does not conform to safety codes, or modify vehicular traffic regulations (speed limit, construction permits).

The governing body of the department is the [[Departmental councils (France)|departmental council]] ({{langx|fr|Conseil départemental}}), which is elected through a system of [[Cantons of France|cantons]]. It is in charge of the building and maintenance of middle schools (''collèges'') and departmental roads, financial assistance to dependent people (disabled and elderly), as well as promotion of local economic development, amongst other matters. In the past, the prefect was head of the department, but since 1982, the [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]] has assumed the role of chief executive of the department.

==Parisian exception==
[[File:Petite couronne.svg|thumb|right|Petite Couronne]]

There is an exception in [[Paris]] in the [[Île-de-France]] region and its three surrounding departments, known as the Petite Couronne ("Small Crown"): [[Hauts-de-Seine]] to the west, [[Seine-Saint-Denis]] to the northeast and [[Val-de-Marne]] to the southeast. These departments are administered by an additional separate unitary prefecture for law enforcement and security purposes, a [[Prefecture of Police]] ({{langx|fr|préfecture de police}}), known as the [[Paris Police Prefecture]], a situation inherited from the [[Paris Commune]] of 1871. The power of law enforcement is usually vested in the [[Mayor (France)|mayor]] in other [[Communes of France|communes]]. This power is held by the Prefect of Police of Paris in the Petite Couronne.

In 2012, a similar structure was established in [[Bouches-du-Rhône]], the [[Bouches-du-Rhône Police Prefecture]], headed by the Prefect of Police of Bouches-du-Rhône, although it is formally less independent than that of Paris.

==Divisions of departments==
Departments are divided into [[Arrondissements of France|arrondissements]], themselves divided into [[Cantons of France|cantons]]. The ''chef-lieu d'arrondissement'' is the [[Subprefectures in France|subprefecture]] ({{langx|fr|sous-préfecture}}). The official in charge is the [[subprefect]] ({{langx|fr|sous-préfet}}). There are relatively few competences associated to cantons, the most important one being the local organisation of elections, as cantons are electoral subdivisions.

==See also==
* [[Administrative divisions of France]]
* [[Departments of France]]
* [[Regions of France]]
* [[Subprefectures in France]]
* [[National Police (France)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{French terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Prefectures of regions of France}}
{{Prefectures of French departments}}

[[Category:Prefectures in France| ]]
[[Category:Government of France]]