Prefect (France) facts for kids
A prefect (pronounced pray-fet) is a very important government official in France. Think of them as the main representative of the national government in a specific area, like a state or a county. These areas are called departments or regions in France.
Prefects make sure that national laws are followed in their area. They also check on what local governments are doing. The President of France chooses prefects, usually after the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior suggest someone. A prefect can be replaced by the government at any time.
Prefects have many jobs to help uphold the law. They help coordinate police forces and manage rules about immigration. They also check the money decisions of local governments. Some prefects, like those in Lille or Marseille, have extra duties. They lead special defense and security zones for their region. In Paris, a special police prefect handles law enforcement for the city.
Smaller areas within departments, called arrondissements, have officials called subprefects (soo-pray-fet). The main office of a prefect is called a prefecture, and for a subprefect, it's a subprefecture. For a short time in the 1980s, prefects were called "Republic's commissioners."
What Do Prefects Do?
The role of a prefect was first created in 1800 by Napoleon Bonaparte. Back then, their main job was to oversee local governments. They also made sure taxes were sent to Paris and helped with military recruitment.
Today, the main job of a prefect is written in the Constitution of France. It says that the prefect represents the national government in local areas. They look after national interests, check how local governments are run, and make sure laws are respected.
Prefects work under the Minister of the Interior. Here are some of their key responsibilities:
- Representing the Government: They are the direct link between the national government and local areas.
- Keeping People Safe:
* They coordinate police and gendarmerie (military police) forces. * They manage big emergencies and crises. * They set up plans for civil defense in case of disasters.
- Ensuring Public Safety:
* They decide if areas need to be evacuated during natural disasters. * They organize help and relief efforts after disasters.
- Managing Official Documents:
* They oversee the creation of identity cards and passports. * They issue driving licenses and can take them away if rules are broken. * They apply rules for immigration.
- Checking Local Laws: Prefect officials check if decisions made by local governments are legal. If something seems wrong, they can send it to a special court.
Prefects can also issue administrative orders. These are like special rules for their area. For example, they might say you need special tires on your car during heavy snow. Another common order is to ban smoking while filling a car with fuel.
On special official events, prefects wear uniforms. For a long time, prefects had a lot of power over local matters. But since 1982, local governments have gained more control. Now, a prefect's main job is to make sure local decisions don't go against national laws.
Special Prefect Roles
In some French territories far away, like New Caledonia and French Polynesia, the prefect's job is done by a "high commissioner." In Wallis and Futuna, it's a "superior administrator." The French Southern and Antarctic Lands are run by a prefect, but this prefect lives in Réunion, not in the territories themselves.
Paris is a special case because it's both a city and a department. It has a regular prefect, who is also the prefect for the whole Île-de-France region. But Paris also has a unique official called the Prefect of Police of Paris. This person handles all law enforcement in Paris and some nearby areas. In Paris, the police powers that a mayor usually has in other French cities belong to this Police Prefect. A similar Police Prefecture was also created in Marseille in 2012.
The government's authority over the sea is managed by a "maritime prefect" for each coastal region.
