The public debate did not take place. Ressorts and effects of non-recourse to participation on the participatory public action of the Tuscan regional council

This article focuses on the regional public policy of participation in the Tuscany region. It looks at the introduction of a regional public debate system on major infrastructure projects, which can be activated by local elected representatives and mobilized collectives. Starting from the observation that the debate was not taken up, it analyzes the reasons for this from the point of view of both elected representatives and activists. It also seeks to understand how players in participatory regional public action turn non-use of politics into a problem, and how the automaticity of debate is imposed as a solution. More generally, the article examines how participatory public action is (re)configured in a context of territorial competition between local authorities.