It is possible if it starts work in summer 2010

Michèle Alliot-Marie, Minister of the Interior, led this morning a new round of consultation on the reform of local government by bringing together interested by the completion of the intermunicipal associations of elected representatives. The creation of cities and mergers of municipalities, listed in the Balladur Committee proposals, are contained in the menu of this meeting to be followed by, tomorrow another group of dedicated work, to the clarification of skills.

Dominique Perben, MP (UMP) of the Rhône and former member of the Balladur Committee, this dialogue with elected officials, established at the request of the President of the Republic, must also be accompanied by better taking account of the opinion, it sees much more prompt to reform that elected officials. Concerned about the first blows of brake by their various associations, as regards such as the date of completion of the intermunicipal, he feared that the various parts of the territorial reform focus on the year 2014, is too close to the next municipal to be implemented. In addition, "some significant steps must be completed before the end of the first quinquennium of Nicolas Sarkozy," said Dominique Perben.

What do you think of the consultation initiated by the Government on land reform

I have a few concerns. It must be that public opinion is associated to this reform. My first field visits have allowed me to see that there is a strong expectation in it. I hear already, most of the time, that we are below the requirement of change. The proposals of the Senatorial mission Bellot are excessively conservative. They appear very indented from that produce working groups interparliamentary of UMP that I anime with Senator Jean-Patrick Courtois.

I also note that the major associations of elected representatives are brake and seem to want to preserve a minimum consensus. On the intermunicipal, yet the easiest folder, are beginning to tell us that if the consensus is not wide enough in the departments, could take until 2014. Must absolutely take the period from 1 January 2012 to complete the map of the intermunicipal. It is possible if it starts work in summer 2010. The clarification of competences between the departments and regions can and should also be completed before the end of 2012.

That fear you delays

If there remains a debate between experts, risk, by mechanical effect, of scrubbing the reform. Attention to the soft consensus could cut us opinion. We must remain ambitious on this reform. So it must be respectful of time policy. Some significant steps must be completed before the end of the first quinquennium of Nicolas Sarkozy. We must absolutely ensure not consolidate all aspects of the reform on the year 2014, otherwise nothing will happen. So once the presidential election is passed, it will be in the preparation of the municipal elections and, with regard to the closure of the intermunicipal map, it will be very difficult for the prefect to make the necessary trade-offs.

To the urgency of the economic situation, should the territorial reform remain on the same calendar

It entirely. The current situation cannot even that encourage us to quickly initiate the reform of the State and local communities. Out of the crisis, we must indeed be able to present collective costs lower than what they are today. Many decisions can be taken in principle within two years, even spread the implementation of a number of them until 2014. This is the case of the six or seven cities whose creation requires considerable preparatory work after the vote of the Act in 2010.