R2D2 project

Winner of the 2025 Amidex call for white projects, the R2D2 project (Reforming and Refounding the Deliberative Process in a Democracy) aims to propose a reform of the French deliberative process in response to the crises of our current institutional system and new democratic expectations.

The originality of R2D2's scientific approach lies in both its composition and its working methodology. The project has set up a think-tank made up exclusively of some twenty academics from Aix-Marseille University, experts in issues relating to public decision-making and from a variety of disciplines (public law, history of law, economics, management, philosophy). It was also decided to operate on a collegial basis, to encourage exchanges and interdisciplinary reflection.

Project boundaries

  • Location: France
  • Regime: Institutions of the Fifth Republic
  • Period: Analysis since the 2008 constitutional revision
  • Subject: Law/Parliament

In its analysis, the Committee will necessarily have recourse to comparative law, to periods prior to 2088, and to local and European deliberative processes.

The analysis grid

It is organized around three axes.

  • AXIS 1: Define the participants in national deliberative processes
  • AXIS 2: Identify the law-making process
  • AXIS 3: Evaluate and monitor

Project management

Assessment phase: Strengths and weaknesses of the deliberative process (January 2025 - May 2026)

The committee will draw up a report on the strengths and weaknesses of the decision-making and deliberative processes of the institutions of the Fifth Republic.

The restitution day (May 29, 2026) will establish the findings on the basis of which proposals will subsequently be formulated, with a mapping of the state of current deliberative processes. The results will be published at the same time as the proposals, but a summary of the various contributions will be posted on the website.

Incubation phase: Reflections and perspectives (May 2026 - October 2028)

The committee constructs and elaborates proposals based on comparative law, the theoretical foundations of the representative system, interviews with qualified individuals and a survey of citizens. The interviews are made available to the committee and discussed at meetings. At the end of this phase, the committee makes proposals for changes to the deliberative process. Committee members who disagree with some of these may then express separate opinions.

Restitution phase: proposed revision of the constitution (October 2028 - December 2028)

The results of the research, in the form of proposed constitutional revisions relating to the deliberative process, will be presented at a two-day international symposium.

The results will be published in a book presenting the current state of the deliberative process in the Fifth Republic and the proposed amendments drawn up by the AMU think-tank.


Under the joint direction of Sophie de CACQUERAY, Sophie HUTIER and Sophie LAMOUROUX, the R2D2 think-tank is made up of the following members:

  • Julien BROCH, MCF-HDR History of Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Sophie de CACQUERAY, PU Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Nataşa DANELCIUC-COLODROVSCHI, MCF Associate Professor of Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Aurélie DUFFY-MEUNIER, PU Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Marthe FATIN ROUGE STEFANINI, CNRS-UMR 7318 DICE Research Director.
  • Jean-Pierre FERRAND, MCF-HDR Public Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Sophie HUTIER, MCF Public Law at the Faculty of Economics and Management-AMU.
  • Jean-François KERLEO, PU Public Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Sophie LAMOUROUX, PU Public Law at the Institute of Public Management and Territorial Governance-AMU.
  • Michel LE DU, PU Philosophy at the Faculty of Arts, Letters, Languages and Human Sciences-AMU.
  • Xavier MAGNON, PU Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Hervé MAGNOULOUX, PU Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Management-AMU.
  • Priscilla MONGE, MCF Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Eric OLIVA, PU Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • François QUASTANA, PU History of Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Nathalie RUBIO, PU Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.
  • Nathalie Audrey RUBIO MCF Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Management-AMU.
  • Caterina SEVERINO, PU Public Law, IEP Aix-en-Provence.
  • Bruno TIBERGHIEN, PU Management Sciences at the Institut de Management Public et Gouvernance Territoriale-AMU.
  • Ariane VIDAL-NAQUET, PU Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science-AMU.

Committee workshops

  • Workshop on January 24, 2025: Presentation to the committee of expectations and validation of the analysis grid
  • Workshop on July 4, 2025: Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the decision-making process
  • Workshop on November 28, 2025: Drawing up questionnaires

Coming soon

Coming soon