while in the long run the new process is probably better there are clear short term costs that are largely bom at the local level france is still a centralised state and while it has greatly reduced the direct role of the national government in land use plans it remains very engaged relative to many other oecd countries because france has a unitary government all devolved powers can be altered and the frequent changes in the last few decades suggest the possibility of further change in the future second while france has largely strengthened local government the direct role of the state in daytoday administration through the prefet and the responsibility of mayors to the nation state remains