Question concerning French cities and Parisian arrondissments?

Question

Hello,

Is Paris the only major French city organized in Arrondissements or are their others? For example is a big city like Lyon or Marseilles also subdivided in Arrondissements?

Also - I just heard that the individual arrondissements in Paris have Mayors. Yet there is also an overall mayor of Paris too. How does system work?

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

yes Lyon has 9 arrondissements and Marseille 16. Each arrondissement has a "mairie": a townhall and a "maire", a mayor. There is also an overall mayor of Paris, the same for Lyon and Marseille. For a mariage, death, birth, for elections ...people have to go to the townhall of the arrondissement where they live.

I think other people here, who have more English vocabulary, will be able to tell you more...

Answer 2

Each arrondissement has a mayor and a directly-elected council (conseil d'arrondissement), which in turn elects an arrondissement mayor.

A selection of members from each arrondissement council form the Council of Paris (conseil de Paris), which in turn elects the mayor of Paris.

The office of Mayor of Paris is actually a new one and was created in 1977.

This somewhat odd arrangement is the result of the status of Paris as the capital of France AND capital of the Ile de France region AND the largest city in France plus the historical role Parisians have played in making and unmaking governments.