Crisis of Municipal Socialism and Urban Shrinkage. Demographic transformations, (De)electoral mobilizations, and metamorphoses of local public action in Nevers (1971-2022)

This article analyzes the reasons behind the crisis of municipal socialism in Nevers, a mid-sized city in France. Despite being under socialist control since 1971, the city experienced a shift during the 2014 municipal elections, resulting in the victory of an independent candidate. We argue that while this change is influenced by national factors such as the decline in left-wing votes among working classes and the “cartelization” of the Socialist Party, certain local factors have amplified these effects. Demographic decline and increased impoverishment in the 2000s have altered the social foundations of local power, weakening the ability of socialists and their allies to mobilize support due to reduced public resources and/or decreased effectiveness.