Chapter 1. Variations on the prefectoral figure in Europe. Some research questions and an ideal-type for a comparison.- Part 1. Genesis and historicity.- Chapter 2. French prefects. Genesis and institutionalization of a State ‘grand corps’.- Chapter 3. Studying the apparition of prefects in Italy between Napoleon and the Unification.- Chapter 4. Civil governors and Public Order in 19^th century Spain. The case of Barcelona.- Chapter 5. Serving the King, serving the people. A historical outline of the Norwegian county governor.- Part 2. Facts & Figures.- Chapter 6. Social and educational backgrounds of the territorial representatives of the State in nowadays Europe.- Chapter 7. A profession or a position? Recruitments and careers of the territorial representatives of the State in nowadays Europe.- Part 3. A culture at work. Between incarnation, compromise & politicization.- Chapter 8. In the flesh. Giving the State bodily form in 19^th-century Europe.- Chapter 9. Dealing with dualities. The daily life of a Dutch King’s Commissioner.- Chapter 10. Being a (sub-)prefect in Paris. The self-legitimization of the prefectoral corps’ members working within French core ministries, etc.

“Tanguy and Eymeri-Douzans have assembled a timely collection of papers on prefects and their equivalents in Europe. This book fills a gap in the literature, demonstrating that even countries favouring decentralization also have forms of control from the centre. It is even more interesting by its anchoring in administrative history and the patterns of diffusion of the prefectoral role.” – B. Guy Peters, University of Pittsburgh

“Eymeri-Douzans and Tanguy’s book on regional governors in Europe will be the standard reference in its field. Offering many country chapters and comparative assessments, it is a valuable source to anyone interested in regional governance.” – Jon Pierre, University of Gothenburg

“This book is a must for anyone interested in meso-level governance.  It breaks new ground by focusing less on networks and more on a particular figure: the territorial representative of the State. Sometimes under-researched, such State delegates can be found in most countries within and beyond Europe. This is a fine comparative study that fills an important void.” – Alistair Cole, Hong Kong Baptist University

Is the Prefect an exception, surviving only in France and some countries influenced by Napoleon? No! This book tells the varied stories of the resilience, in most European States and under different names, of the prefectoral institution. It is the first comparative book in English studying these territorial administrators who have a go-between role in centre-periphery relations and a nodal role in territorial governance. Gathering a multidisciplinary team of scholars under the auspices of the European Group for Public Administration, this volume offers a fine-grained analysis of 17 national cases, examines cross-country data, and proposes a theoretical frame made of a Weberian ideal-type with three variants, to better comprehend and explain the permanence and changes of the prefectoral figure.

Gildas Tanguy is Associate Professor at Sciences Po Toulouse and deputy-director of the Laboratory of the Social Sciences of the Polity (LaSSP).

Jean-Michel Eymeri-Douzans is the President of the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA), and a Professor at Sciences Po Toulouse-LaSSP.

“Professors Tanguy and Eymeri-Douzans have assembled an interesting, timely collection of papers on the role of the prefect, or its equivalents, in contemporary Europe. This book fills a gap in the existing literature, and demonstrates that even countries that appear to favor decentralization also have forms of monitoring and control from the center. The book is made even more interesting by its anchoring in administrative history, and the patterns of diffusion of the role of prefect.” (Professor B. Guy Peters, Maurice Falk Professor of Government, University of Pittsburgh)

“Jean-Michel Eymeri-Douzans and Gildas Tanguy’s edited volume on regional governors in Europe will be the standard reference in its field. Offering more than 10 country chapters as well as comparative assessments, it is a valuable source to anyone interested in regional government and governance in Europe.” (Professor Jon Pierre, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg)

“This book isa must for anyone interested in meso-level or regional governance. It breaks new ground, insofar as its focuses not so much on networks, as on a particular figure with a strong nodality: the territorial representative of the State. Sometimes neglected in recent research, or reduced to being a French and Italian exception, such prefects, governors or State delegates can be found in most countries within and beyond continental Europe. Tanguy and Eymeri-Douzans have coordinated a fine comparative study that fills an important void.” (Professor Alistair Cole, Head of the Department of Government & International Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University.)

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