Claire DEDIEU defended her doctoral thesis on 19 November 2019, at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Montpellier with a panel composed of :

Sylvain BARONE, Inrae researcher, G-EAU (co-supervisor of the thesis)
Anne-Cécile DOUILLET, Professor of Political Science, University of Lille (Rapporteur)
Claire DUPUY, Professor of Comparative Politics, Catholic University of Louvain (Examiner)
Christine MUSSELIN, Director of Research CNRS, CSO (President of the jury)
Emmanuel NÉGRIER, CNRS research director, CEPEL (thesis director)
François-Mathieu POUPEAU, CNRS researcher, LATTS (Rapporteur)

Abstract: For a long time, the engineers and technicians of the Ministry of Agriculture have shaped the drinking water supply and sanitation policies of the municipalities and the associations of local authorities. These officials were involved in missions described as « public engineering ». In 2008, in the context of the General Review of Public Policies (RGPP), this mission was abolished. The purpose of the thesis is to understand what is being done in practice through this reform. Based on an investigation conducted in the departments of Hérault, Vaucluse and Lozère, this work analyses the State’s recompositions following the abolition of public engineering, both internally and in its relations with private engineering stakeholders and local authorities. The originality of the thesis lies in its discussion of the theories that present state reforms as a means for the state to redeploy itself without withdrawing. Based on the case of water, it encourages a different way of thinking about contemporary reforms as periods during which the State is also sometimes likely to withdraw. It shows the inconsistencies and paradoxes that result from this State’s withdrawal. Finally, it proposes analytical tools adapted to this alternative approach to the transformations of public action.

Key-words: State; reform; withdrawal; water policies; public engineering; France