President of the General Council

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In France, the President of the General Council (French: Président du conseil général) is the locally-elected head of the General Council, the assembly governing a departments in France. The position is elected by the General Councillors from among their number. If there is a tie, the senior Councillor is elected.

The President of the General Council wields police powers. Responsibilities include:

Chairing the departmental authorities
Preparing and implementing the council's decisions
Collecting and spending monies
Representing the département in legal cases

1 History
- 1.1 Past Women Presidents
2 Overseas territories
- 2.1 Current Presidents
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

In 1871, a law was enacted that gave each canton (subdivision of a department) representation of a Councillor (Conseiller Général).

As a result of the decentralization of Government the election criteria were redefined in 1982, and in 1985 the President of the General Council took over executive powers from the centrally-appointed prefect.

[edit] Past Women Presidents

1970-1982 Evelyne Baylet, Tarn-et-Garonne
1982-1985 Luchette Michaux-Cheruy, Guadeloupe
1990-?? Anne d'Ornano, Calvados
1992-1998 Janine Bardou, Lozère
2004-Present Marie-Françoise Pérol-Dumont, Haute-Vienne
2004-Present Nassimah Mangrolia Dindar, Réunion

[edit] Overseas territories

The situation in the overseas territories can be explained as follows. Generally, these territories are simultaneously departments and regions. The President of the general council may also serve concurrently as President of the Regional Council.