this is what it could soon be called

This is a project that has been going on for several years: the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, in the South of France is considering changing its name to further promote its image and better match its history, culture and geography. Its president Hermeline Malherbe renewed her intention to move things forward, indicating that residents should be consulted in 2025.

The Pyrénées-Orientales want to change their name

The Pyrenees-Orientales will they finally change their name? The department of the Occitanie region (formerly Languedoc-Roussillon) has been working on this idea for a long time now. Between sea and mountains, this territory appreciated by tourists could indeed experience such modification administrative.

In any case, this is the wish of the elected officials in the Department, who are still working on the issue. This Monday, January 13, 2025, on the occasion of her wishes to the press, the president (PS) Hermeline Malherbe assured: despite a delay in the schedule, “we are not abandoning it.”

The project was delayed

It must be said that the project for a new name for the Pyrénées-Orientales does not date from today, or even from yesterday, for that matter. Already at the beginning of 2022, local elected officials announced this project. Again the following year: Hermeline Malherbe had announced the launch of a major citizen consultation. But things took a little longer than expected.

In 2024, the departmental elected officials had this time put forward some details. The new name of the Pyrénées-Orientales will be “linked to our identity”, announced Nicolas Garcia, first vice-president.

“There is a real evolution. Five years ago, tourism and leisure stakeholders told us that geography was most important. There they tell us that Catalan identity is important »then supported Hermeline Malherbe.

Several tracks submitted to residents

Last year, a working group had been formed. “We met around ten academics, the eleven heads of cultural and Catalan language associations, representatives of the consular chambers, employers' and trade union organizations… during several working sessions from February to May-June,” said the president of the Department.

But “the dissolution of the National Assembly cut this work short and government instability did not allow us to continue it”, nevertheless deplored Hermeline Malherbe, who wanted to reaffirm her desire to continue and complete this administrative site.

“We are integrating it this year in line with the citizen dialogue on the future of the Pyrénées-Orientales,” said the elected socialist. The inhabitants of the department will thus be able to give their opinion and speak out. For the moment, two appellations would be in the pipeline: The Pyrénées-Orientales could become « Pays Catalan » or “Catalan Pyrenees”.

Seven departments have already changed their names

As a reminder, in just over two centuries, only seven French departments have changed their name. The last three are the Basses-Pyrénées, become Pyrénées-Atlantiques (1969), the Basses-Alpes, become Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (1970) and the Côtes-du-Nord, became the Côtes-d'Armor (1990).

When the department of Pyrénées-Orientales has chosen its new name, it will have to submit a request for modification to the Prime Minister. Then the last word will come back to Council of State. A long administrative road. In short, the change of name of the Pyrénées-Orientales is not happening right away.

Moreover, the court recalls that a change of name of a department could only take place for “serious reasons” supposed to correct a historical injustice and make an “inequality of denomination” disappear. The Pyrénées-Orientales could argue around the error of the adjective “orientales”, which refers to the East, while the department is in the South of France.

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