Professor Michel Bouvier recalled in his opening speech that the question of creating financing laws for regional and local authorities should be considered in relation with the issue of the sustainability of public finances. The debate divided advocates of financing laws for local and regional authorities (Alain Lambert, Former Budget Minister, Chairman of the Departmental Council of Orne, Christian Martin, Chairman of inter-jurisdiction working group on local public finances, Myriam Kabylo, Network and Regional Division of the Caisse des Dépôts) against those who opposed the measure (Philippe Laurent, Mayor of Sceaux, Secretary General of the Association of French Mayors [Association des Maires de France], Vincent Moreau, Deputy Director of the Budget department of the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance).
