From making an appointment to obtaining an identity document, you have to be patient. And for good reason: since 2021, with the end of the health crisis, requests for the creation or renewal of titles have exploded. “We had 9 million requests in 2019, and we go to almost 14.5 million requests estimated for 2023, there is a huge increase in demand »explains to the JDD the entourage of the Minister Delegate in charge of Territorial Communities and Rurality Dominique Faure.
Currently, according to the minister’s office, it takes about 60 days to get a first appointment at the town hall, a figure that pranced to nearly 70 a few weeks ago. In April, during a trip to Indre and right out of the complicated sequence of retirements, Élisabeth Borne then took the lead. She promises appointment times for obtaining a title “reduced to 30 days this summer »then lowered again in the fall to ” 20 days ».
Installation of kiosks, meeting platform and financial assistance
A promise that is accompanied by a major plan on the ground, currently being deployed. “The government has been on the bridge on this subject since last year”assures the entourage of Dominique Faure.
In parallel with “the creation of 240 additional positions in the prefecture to process requests »the minister’s office says that “At this stage, we have added 1,000 new machines (collection devices in town hall, or DR) between March 2022 and the beginning of May, and we still have 500 that should be added by now and during the summer”.
Another device: the establishment last year of the national platform for making appointments at the town hall “ Rendez-vous Mairie”, proposed by the ANTS. Today, according to the ministry, 1,300 municipalities are connected to it out of the 2,750 which are equipped with a collection system. “Of these 2,750 municipalities, there are around 900 that do not have any online appointment scheduling software at this stage”he says.
The Title Emergency Contract for town halls
This is particularly the case in Saint-Mihiel in the Meuse. Here, the two agents in charge of the civil status service only make appointments by telephone. The latter expect to receive more calls because of the Title Emergency Contract that Xavier Cochet, the mayor of the town, signed a few days ago.
It’s really the carrot for the town halls
Circle of Dominique Faure
“Third part” of the plan to reduce delays, the system allows town halls to receive a lump sum allowance of 4,000 euros per collection system installed on January 1, 2023, in exchange for an increase of at least 20% in the number of appointments in May and June (compared to the beginning of the year).
Originally, this system was only to concern town halls that processed more than 2,500 titles last year, but Dominique Faure’s cabinet says that there should ultimately be no restrictions. “It’s really the carrot for the town halls, it means “open on Saturday morning, offer new solutions to your constituents, and the State will support you financially” »he summarizes.
Although he prefers “one package per title »Xavier Cochet, the mayor of Saint-Mihiel, welcomes this system and the amount that will be allocated. “It’s recognition of the commitment of my employees, who put a lot of energy into it », he believes. In his municipality, the appointment time is relatively low, but the number of requests is increasing.
In the first quarter, 827 titles have already been issued. “We are lucky to have our two agents who will be present in May and June, who will put in a little extra effort if necessary to be able to make the 20% moredeclares the chosen one. But if instead of having appointments at two weeks, they are at three or four weeks, that’s how it will be. We have civil status hours which are the same as those of the town hall, we are not going to expand them. »
In Dordogne, where 8 municipalities have signed this contract, “ some will extend their opening hours to Saturday morning “To reduce the delays, indicates to the JDD Nicolas Dufaud, secretary general of the prefecture.
The new municipalities which issue identity cards do not appear. People don’t know they can go there
Justine, administrative officer at the town hall of Porticcio (Corse-du-Sud)
In Porticcio (Corse-du-Sud), where the appointment time is approaching “the good month and a half », Justine*, administrative agent at the town hall, does not hide her skepticism. Faced with the perpetual flow of requests, “we are in a hurry like lemons”regrets Justine.
“We make appointments all day, we make discounts without an appointment, we don’t have time to manage the follow-up of files because we only have appointments… But there is work to do behind, follow-up, people to call, to help because they don’t have their complete file”she breathes.
She doubts that her town hall has requested the Emergency Title Contract, but deplores the operation of the ANTS platform. » “Here in Corsica, they have developed many municipalities, but it is not known. This could relieve us, if the information circulated. We appear on the site (for appointments, editor’s note), but the new municipalities that issue identity cards do not appear. People don’t know they can go there. »
Asked about this failure, the entourage of Dominique Faure affirms that the subject is on the table. This Wednesday, March 24, ANTS and partner software publishers have also signed an interoperability agreement.
We hope and we are still aiming to say that this summer, the deadlines will be halved
Circle of Dominique Faure
Clear, “The agreement allows publishers to certify their compatibility with the national platform with town halls and the latter to benefit – if they are connected before July 1st – from an exceptional allocation from the State up to 1,500 euros per DR device »indicates a press release sent by the entourage of Dominique Faure at the end of the meeting.
Keep the goal at all costs
Finally, is the 30-day target for obtaining a secure title still tenable? “The deadlines continue to decrease, and with the various operations that we are going to launch, we hope and we are still aiming to say that this summer, the deadlines will be halved. I can’t tell you if it will be July 1st or August 1st », declares the cabinet of Dominique Faure. Today, according to this source, “1.2 million appointments per month » are offered.
If the government wants to work on reducing the number of appointments made in ” duplicate “he also wants to lead “punch operations on a number of sites » with the installation of several machines for “unstuck the flow”and disapproves of town halls “which make territorial preference » by favoring the demands of their constituents.
The municipalities expect the support and understanding of the state. In Corsica, we also remember that there is also “handovers without an appointment, follow-up of files, and all the work to be done behind it”, in particular when supporting documents are missing from the applications. Justine, like the mayor of Saint-Mihiel also denounces, because of the interminable waiting times, verbal abuse by the applicants towards the administrative agents.
*Name has been changed.
