The French are very much in favour of better recognition of regional specificities

The French are demanding greater decentralization. According to an Ifop survey published this Monday, 68% believe that local authorities do not have "enough power compared to the State." This opinion has risen sharply since 2012, particularly among seniors, rural residents, and Marine Le Pen's voters.

The rejection of centralism is almost unanimous: 90% consider the State to be "too disconnected from local realities." This criticism is shared by both Jean-Luc Mélenchon's voters (93%) and Éric Zemmour's (95%), by urban dwellers (89%) and rural dwellers (95%), and by young people (79%) as well as seniors (95%).

Long taboo, federalism (a form of political organization in which regions enjoy broad autonomy and share power with a central government) now appeals to a majority: 71% of those surveyed say they are in favor of France becoming federal. The idea of ​​adapting national laws to local specificities also attracts widespread support, with 73% supporting it. "Far from being a marginal or folkloric phenomenon, French regionalism is emerging as a mainstream dynamic that encourages a rethink of the country's territorial organization," emphasizes François Kraus, director of the political division at Ifop.

The cultural demands of regionalists also enjoy broad support: 77% of French people support the official recognition of regional languages, a figure that has remained stable for 25 years, and 84% approve of the teaching of regional history in schools. As for the 2015 territorial redistribution, more than two-thirds (68%) want to revise it to better take into account cultural and historical realities.

Media centralism also crystallizes frustrations: 82% believe that media activity "is too focused on Paris."

Finally, the proposed constitutional revision granting autonomy to Corsica receives more measured support (51%), but largely in the majority among those under 25 (70%).

This survey was conducted online from July 11 to 25 among a representative sample of 2,000 French people aged 18 and over, for the regionalist group "Regions and Peoples in Solidarity."