The impossible governance without proximity

How to reconcile the local and the national? Is a decision taken at the national level likely to be understood and accepted if it appears to local actors as coming “from above” and unrelated to the concerns and constraints of local populations? How can we invent new ways of governing that do not neglect the issue of proximity? There is no doubt that there is a need to establish a better articulation between the central State and local authorities, by reducing deconcentration in favour of decentralization. But this would not be enough, and the observation of different national models of the relationship between the State and the local levels shows that, even in situations of strong decentralization, the participation of the population in the elaboration of public decisions cannot be avoided. This participation, as well as the experiments that are being carried out on different themes, appear to be a central element of effectiveness because they help to increase the confidence and responsibility of citizens with regard to public affairs.