Rights of Opposition Councillors

Our study has shown that the profile of the minority elected official is not really different from that of the local elected official in power, although a distinction must be made between political professionals placed in the minority following a political defeat and novices. These pugnacious elected officials must fight throughout their term to have their rights respected. Indeed, the decision-making procedure is not yet very accomplished, transparent and marginalizes the role of the committees. However, the exercise remains formative, forcing elected officials to vary their repertoires of action: competition in setting the agenda when the elected officials are able to coordinate or have sufficient resources, and challenging the mayor's leadership beyond the City Council. The mobilization of action registers within the framework of the City Council is also conducive to the development of personal qualities and the apprehension of new skills. At the dawn of a new "wave of decentralization" combined with the assertion of new actors in the definition of public policies, the role of the minority elected official within the City Council is at a turning point.