A growing number of authors point out the importance of the European integration for the new regional mobilization, known as neo-regionalism. In particular, literature shows the importance of the regional political institutions in the partnership arrangements regulating the Structural Funds programming process. France shows an interesting albeit partially alternative development: decentralization has been followed by deconcentration, reassessing the role of the regional prefect in the territorial relations. As a consequence, the centrality of a central government representative in the regional political system entails a deeper transformation of the French state: from the État Providence to the État Coordinateur.