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As a non national you must also understand when there are any elections of ANY kind in the commune, YOU are not even allowed to go near except to vote where eligible, you cannot assist with the scrutin nor be present which to me wasn't very nice but had no choice especially when the rotas were being drawn up of whom and when during the voting.

If you do, and its very unlikely, you get assigned to representing your commune at agglo level, be prepared sometimes for the meetings to go on until the small hours and usually in the main town so you will be asked to travel about. I used to get silly meetings at ridiculous times of the day, especially the CCAS because everyone else on the commission(not all current elus but members of the commune) was retired and sometimes there will be many frustrating times when you just will not understand what is going on because it is not your culture nor method of thinking or reasoning behind it. Remember too once you get elected, your details will be plastered all over the internet for all to see,including your age etc. Secret ballotins are another pain in the neck too, hence why your french must be good to understand why and what you are voting or abstaining for.In my commune which is less than 1000 inhabitants the council has to have at least 15 elected and it is only the elected elus who vote for the maire to be put in office, not the general public although they vote for the people to represent them

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Oh and something I did forget to mention, be prepared to be accosted by the public if they are aggrieved over something, they will expect you to do something about the problem via the mairie.It wasn't all bad, I got many free meals out and during meetings, the alcohol though did not flow when the new maire took over in 2008 like it did previously after each monthly meeting. Finally the one big hate of all councils, the commune budget in March. Ours always started at 16.00h and you had to be there and continued to at least 19.00 with endless droning on of the percepteur reading out every single expense,investment and receipt and then the other budget for the CCAS afterwards.We were rewarded though each year with a meal at a local restaurant afterwards paid by the commune. Before the budget session, there will be extra council meetings to sit and discuss the new commune taxes and votes to raise or keep etc. Don't worry about all the complicated maths, no one understands how it works!
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As a non national you must also understand when there are any elections

of ANY kind in the commune, YOU are not even allowed to go near except

to vote where eligible, you cannot assist with the scrutin nor be

present

That is true for the elections in which you cannot vote, but in those such as the Municpales and Européens where you are allowed to vote you can also be an assessor and take part in the count.

I did this in the last elections for the conseil municipal, and even signed off the papers declaring who won.

It is true that things are different in big towns, but I believe that to be true all over.

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[quote user="Val_2"]As a non national you must also understand when there are any elections of ANY kind in the commune, YOU are not even allowed to go near except to vote where eligible, you cannot assist with the scrutin nor be present...[/quote]

That's really interesting, Val. So, just to clarify, if a non-French national is on a liste, they can turn up at the Mairie (for us) to cast their own vote but they cannot assist during the day and they should not be in the room during the "count" in the evening?

Equally, once elected, a non-national cannot be part of the rota or even in the room during any other elections that take place at other times? Presidential elections, for eg?

By the way (and for what my opinion is worth  [:D]) along with Parsnips and Sunday Driver, you are another of my respected posters. With your experience of setting up and running a successful building-related business over many years, your posts were always invaluable to us.

Edited to add: and I've just seen your post, Norman. Thanks.

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NO a foreign national who is an elected élu here cannot assist with any voting work or be admitted except to vote where allowed. I was put on the rota for the last municipals in 2008 but when the Préfet received the list they phone immediately and told the maire I was not allowed. Norman, obviously has experienced something different but I stand by what the prefecture ruled and the same rule has existed since.Thanks for the remarks too about helping others over the years with experiences, you would not believe what I am going through currently.
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Well we all know that different  regions can interpret things differently (we have seen this in tax and health issues)

Val obviously knows from first-hand what she is talking about.  On the other hand I have definitely been an assesseur and even acted as président for a while during her absence dinging the bell and saying "a voté" [:D]

I found this in the rules for a different commune to either of ours:

Premières conditions pour pouvoir voter ou être assesseur,

vous devez être de nationalité française ou ressortissant de l'Union

européenne (pour certains scrutins)
, avoir 18 ans et être inscrit sur la

liste électorale de la commune.

As interpreted here in Béziers that means that you can be an assesseur in the elections in which you can vote, but not in the others

Your préfet obviously thinks differently [:-))]

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Norman, you come across as a proper gentleman as on other forums I frequent, they swear black is white and so on and by now a huge dingdong would have ensued over a simple thing,but here decorum reigns. I have found many things in France to differ from the supposedly standard norme of how they should be done or carried forward as each region/dept interprets things how they want to and not always what is laid down by european laws these days.

Good luck anyway to those standing for elections, at least it will show if nothing else, what your commune thinks of you and last time around I got more than the person elected to be maire

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I have assisted in all the elections taking place in France since being elected in 2008 in our commune, as a non French national and signed off on them. I have also met the Prefet, Sous Prefete and Prefete, as a "novel" non French Elu. None of them objected to me taking part in any function.

Having in a previous life run a government budget of over £6,000,000, I found the way the French ran our commune budget completely understandable and far more flexible. We can even carry over underspend!!
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[quote user="Val_2"]

I have found many things in France to differ from the supposedly standard norme of how they should be done or carried forward as each region/dept interprets things how they want to and not always what is laid down by european laws these days.

[/quote]

 

Myself, I tend to interpret things how I personally want to, and not always what is laid down by european, regional, or even local laws these days[:D]

 

 

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[quote user="nomoss"][quote user="Val_2"]

I have found many things in France to differ from the supposedly standard norme of how they should be done or carried forward as each region/dept interprets things how they want to and not always what is laid down by european laws these days.

[/quote]

 

Myself, I tend to interpret things how I personally want to, and not always what is laid down by european, regional, or even local laws these days[:D]

 

 

[/quote]However tempting such an approach is, one needs to aware how laws are applied if one wishes to avoid trouble
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Fascinating thread.   I've been on here since 1998 and certainly things have quietened down in the last three years - from all points of view.

Who remembers Coco (always at the centre of any fight!),  or Mazan,  or teamdup (well of course.....,  she's not far away even now!).    Did Ron finally fall in the Aveyron?   Or Swissbarry - I think it was he who wrote the funniest post about trying to listen to the BBC in bed that I've ever read......

Or Will the Conqueror.  Or Baz.....

My main activity has been to try and give help in the satellite corner of the forum,  something I've enjoyed hugely over the years,  and many people have been kind enough to acknowledge the assistance I've been able to give.   My sadness is that it has all quietened down so much,  and certainly in the TV and Sat subforum that's because so few people are buying in France now.   I can remember when we'd probably have three queries a week (most of which could have sorted themselves out if they'd spotted the FAQs section,  but never mind);   I can't remember the last time any one asked the "basic" questions.

Mentioning past members always puts me in mind of Debs - one of the kindest and wisest people of whom I've ever had the virtual pleasure.

I hope the forum survives - I can't be doing with Facebook or Twitter.   But things move so fast nowadays.

Anyway,  a hearty greeting to you all.

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I remember the people you named; I wonder what they're all doing now.

I first joined this forum in 2001 before moving to France the following spring and it's certainly very quiet on here these days, but of course, as well as there being fewer new arrivals in France, there are other forums which have started up.

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[quote user="Martin963"]Who remembers Coco (always at the centre of any fight!),  or Mazan,  or teamdup (well of course.....,  she's not far away even now!).    Did Ron finally fall in the Aveyron?   Or Swissbarry - I think it was he who wrote the funniest post about trying to listen to the BBC in bed that I've ever read......

Or Will the Conqueror.  Or Baz...[/quote]

Coco is still in France running an extremely successful chambre d'hôte and I see her occasionally - very occasionally like once a year.

Swissbarry I adored. I loved his sense of humour. But then I always liked an earlier incarnation of The Riff-Raff Element... can't remember what name he used "in those days" but his posts frequently made me chortle.

Will le Conq and Mrs Conq are (or were, last time I heard) back in the UK - I think Mrs Conq has been looking after her mother. They still have their French interests, I'm sure. In fact, I saw them on a ferry a couple of years ago. Only to speak to very briefly - I had a streaming cold, was running a temperature and was feeling most unsociable.

I miss Tressy - Tresco as was. Some of the Tressy / Twinkle / KatieKK threads used to make me lol.

But if we're talking past members, especially those who were always up for a scrap, one has to mention...

...Miki. [6]

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And in the same vein, Dick Smith and Gluestick, things were always lively in those days, TBH I have not seen a proper disagreement for a couple of years on this forum, no loss I suppose and I'm sure many were put off because of them but things have sure shifted a long way in the other direction. WoolyB talking about the presidents w***e reminded me of the way Gluestick used to speak of Carla Bruni, the difference being back then there would have been robust opposition.

What about Chris Head, did he ever conquer his demons, is he still around in France?

He was once such a prolific poster that a section was started for his interests.

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There are other French forums Pommier, but all but one that I am aware of are even quieter. The one that does have some activity was pretty much due to the activities of a single poster who has recently disappeared and any questions as to their whereabouts see the thread locked!

I don't think there is any mystery to the reduced activity, as it appears a lot of the original posters have left France and with the dramatic decrease in foreigners buying French property, we rarely see posts from new members. Also with most members being in the retiree category, unfortunately over the ten years I have been a member, we have lost a few forum friends.  

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Hi all. Good to see so many members still going strong. For what it is worth, the banking crisis made for frustrating visits to the site. I am an FX trader and 1. Couldnt really comment much of the time about views that I felt were ill-informed or had a different standpoint, and 2. Unsuprisingly, people were feeling angry (many still do) and so anything I had to say was pretty irrelevant as people needed to voice their anger.

I have learnt to despise politics. I dont see many politicians in parliament that have a genuine interest of doing anything other than offering the world to get a vote, and that still includes misrepresenting the issues in banking and the banks ability to do what they are supposed to do. I could go on
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[quote user="Sprogster"]

There are other French forums Pommier, but all but one that I am aware of are even quieter. The one that does have some activity was pretty much due to the activities of a single poster who has recently disappeared and any questions as to their whereabouts see the thread locked!

I don't think there is any mystery to the reduced activity, as it appears a lot of the original posters have left France and with the dramatic decrease in foreigners buying French property, we rarely see posts from new members. Also with most members being in the retiree category, unfortunately over the ten years I have been a member, we have lost a few forum friends.  

[/quote]

You're mentioned in dispatches this morning Spogster on another forum. [:D]

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