Conseil départemental de l'Aude

The Conseil départemental de l'Aude is the elected assembly governing the Aude department in southern France. It implements regional policies, manages the departmental budget, oversees maintenance of departmental roads, manages middle schools, administers social welfare programs, supports cultural and sporting initiatives, and coordinates economic development actions. It also handles responsibilities related to child protection, assistance to elderly and disabled persons, and integration policies. The council works in collaboration with the state, communes, and other regional bodies to deliver public services to residents.

Situated in the Occitanie region, the council serves as a principal local authority for the department’s inhabitants. In January 2025 it was targeted by the pro‑Russian hacker group NoName057(016) in a distributed denial‑of‑service campaign that temporarily rendered its website inaccessible. The attack, claimed as retaliation for France’s support of Ukraine, did not result in any data breach or loss of information. French prosecutors in Paris opened an investigation into the incident, and other affected localities announced intentions to file complaints. As a departmental council, it is a territorial collectivity of the French Republic, composed of councillors elected by universal suffrage. It operates within the legal framework established by France’s decentralisation laws, exercising competencies delegated by the state.