The Transformation of the State and the New Territorial Politics in Western Europe

This comparative survey of the historical, institutional and policy aspects of regional construction in Brittany and Languedoc-Roussillon illustrates the paradigm shift in the nature and functions of the state and the emergence of a new kind of territorial politics outline in the first part of this paper. Paradoxically, the twin evolutions of the state and the European community have produced radically different results in the two regions. During the ‘Trente Glorieuses’, both Brittany and Languedoc-Roussillon underwent significant transformation socially and economically. Brittany managed to transform itself through the adoption of intensive farming, the arrival of large industry, and the scaling down of its traditional sector. Languedoc-Roussillon was also transformed by the same forces but went from mass wine production, through an economic crisis, and into more customised production of quality wine. The ‘region within the nation-state’ framework, even if its boundaries are contested, was a positive one for Brittany during the first period. Europe was largely absent. For Languedoc-Roussillon, on the other hand, it was essentially negative, exacerbating existing conflicts and creating new ones (for example, with the arrival of Front National politicians into the regional assembly).