The section de commune of Mourex, France. A “power to be heard, to defend what is precious to us”

Following a recently proposed law by a group of French senators that will aim to dissolve all sections de commune in France, this report, based on a 2019 Masters dissertation, outlines the contemporary role of a section de commune located in the village of Mourex, France. Drawing on the notion of the commons and “dwelling”, this report demonstrates that the sec􀆟on de commune there is anything but a relic of the past; it provides important avenues for people to reconnect with their environment, symbolising the profound ways in which a community and their surrounding environment can be bound together in relations of mutual inter-dependence. In this regard, sections de commune represent important means through which to preserve France’s agricultural landscapes. The proposal of a law to dissolve France’s sections de communes is therefore a threat to these landscapes as well as a demonstrable example of “land-grabbing” on a massive scale by the French state – a process of large-scale acquisition of agricultural land without consulting the local population beforehand or obtaining its consent. By underlining the ongoing importance of the section de commune in Mourex, this report hopes to contribute towards a larger effort to prevent the French state from dismantling this ancient system of communal land rights, and an important part of France’s cultural heritage.