Abstract
When comparing the heads of local government across Europe, it is customary to classify French mayors as representative of the strong mayor type, by opposition to the weak mayors of the northern European countriesi. This classification rests on the strong influence French mayors wield, not on account of their actual powers, but in relation to their degree of discretion in using these powers, along with their personal access to central government where they can negotiate specific measures and aid for their commune. The changes brought about by the Decentralization Acts of 1982-83 have not altered this classification, although they have contributed to some significant changes in the style adopted by French mayorsii. More recently, the “intermunicipal revolution” which has swept across the country and seen the multiplication of institutions of cooperation between communes, has apparently reinforced the status of the mayors in the largest citiesiii; but it could actually preview a significant change in the role of French mayors.