Is the grass greener on the other side? What went wrong with French regions, and the implications for England

The experience of France's elected regions offers both comfort and admonition to English reformers. That the centralised, unitary French state can establish regions as popularly legitimate and fully functioning governing institutions in a short space of time is an optimistic sign. Yet, notwithstanding Europeanisation and some examples of innovation, regions have been constrained by poor performance, weak leadership, the burgeoning departmental system of administration and the newly consolidated power of the regional state. The main lessons for England are: the need to establish effective powers at the outset; the inappropriateness of half-way houses to direct elections; the difficulties of using existing administrative boundaries; and the dangers of competition between tiers of government for an economic development role.