> Autonomy and wide local responsibilities

 

Departments were created by the Constituent Assembly in 1790. Ten years later, Napoleon Bonaparte set up the General Councils responsible for managing departmental affairs. Nominated for three years, councillors were elected from 1833, first by an electoral college based on property ownership and then by universal suffrage.

Two laws strengthened the role of General Councils:

• The law of 10th August 1871 that gave independence to departments
• The law of 2nd March 1982 (called the decentralisation law or loi Deferre) that transferred powers from the state to local government. Local representatives are now responsible and autonomous in local government management.

The General Council of the Landes met for the first time on 5th October 1790.

It then had 36 representatives elected for 4 years.
There are currently 30 councillors (one per canton).