ABSTRACT
In France, a country marked by political centralism, public authorities have long played a role in defining the public interest and in managing the common good. While Anglo-Saxon countries often perceive public interest as an adjustment of specific interests within a state-based framework, the French tradition has long maintained that specific interests were irreconcilable and that public interests should arise from a political state vision not based on these specific interests and short-term contingencies. Initiatives from local authorities, who want to promote citizen participation, are also prompting participatory practices and the implementation of local public political debates in several areas: urban planning and development, water and sanitation, transport and natural areas. Traditional consultation methods such as the public inquiry collecting individual opinions are now deemed inadequate. The mediator intervenes only beforehand to meet with the stakeholders and assess the dialogue feasibility.
