The unachieved formulation of policies against racial discrimination in French cities. The case of Lyon, Nantes, and Strasbourg (2001-2012)

This article calls into question the change in local public policies regarding racial discrimination. With a comparative analysis of Lyon, Nantes, and Strasbourg, this research highlights the slow conversion of elected politicians and city officers from a perspective of integration to a perspective of non-discrimination. Weak political and administrative resources explain this difficult change. However, party political change and regular exchanges with local associations are locally contributing to the promotion of policies against racial discrimination. While the racial issue is still at stake in France, it appears to be overshadowed when integration policies and non-discrimination policies are disconnected. This article argues in favor of the need to focus on case studies to analyze the factors of change in public policies and to analyze non-discrimination policies in France.