''Syndic'' (; Greek: ) is a term applied in certain countries to an officer of government with varying powers, and secondly to a representative or delegate of a university, institution or other corporation, entrusted with special functions or powers. The meaning which underlies both applications is that of representative or delegate. Du Cange, after defining the word as , , , proceeds: "" ('Syndics: chiefly, the term for the members acting for universities, colleges, societies, and other bodies, through whom, as in a republic, what must be pursued or decreed in common, is pursued and decreed'), and gives several examples from the 13th century of the use of the term. The most familiar use of ''syndic'' in the first sense is that of the Italian and the French who is the head of the administration of a , comparable to a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

, and a government official, elected by the residents of the commune.

Use in public administration and ombudsman bodies

Use in Italian and French linguistic areas

As indicated above, in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and some Italian and French speaking parts of

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, the term or , or ''syndic'', is equivalent to the English term ''mayor'', in this case, the head of the administration of a .

Use in Catalan or Occitan linguistic areas

In areas where Catalan or Occitan are spoken, the term has been used since Medieval times. At present it is used in a variety of cases. The speaker of Andorra's parliament is known as the (General Syndic) or (First Syndic). Until the 1993 Constitution, the First Syndic was the effective head of government of Andorra. Similarly, the ( Occitan for Aran Syndic) is the head of the administration of the Aran Valley in

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

. In

, the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...

and the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

, the or ("advocate of grievances") is the ombudsman or ombudswoman, while the or is a board member of the Public Audit Office in each of the three regions. In the Valencian Parliament, the

spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

of a

parliamentary group A parliamentary group, parliamentary caucus or political group is a group consisting of members of different political party, political parties or independent politicians with similar ideologies. Some parliamentary systems allow smaller politic ...

is called a or , and together they form the (Board of Spokespersons), while in the Horta de València region (the area around the city of

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

), a is also a member of the Water Tribunal (), the body in charge of regulating irrigation matters. In Alguer,

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

, the is the equivalent of mayor.

Use in Mexican politics

A syndic is a trustee, the member of the

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...

responsible for monitoring and defending municipal interests. The syndic is in charge of legally representing the city council, procuring justice and the legality of the municipal administration. The syndic is also responsible for monitoring and managing the municipal finances. They must participate collegially with the mayor and the rest of the municipal council to make decisions on the political management of the municipality.

Use in labour organisations, associations, guilds and universities

In Europe in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, nearly all companies, guilds, and the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

had representative bodies the members of which were termed ''syndici''. Similarly in England, the Regent House of the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, which is the legislative body, delegates certain functions to special committees of its members, appointed from time to time by Grace (a proposal offered to the Regent House and confirmed by it); these committees are termed "syndicates" and are permanent or occasional, and the members are styled "the syndics" of the particular committee or of the institution which they administer; thus there are the syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum, of the

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

, of local examinations, etc. The term ''sindicat'' in Catalan is used in a broad sense to mean an association for the defence of the economic or social interests of its members, and therefore is often used generically to refer to labour organizations, as well as in the titles of certain labour organizations or federations (for instance, the Confederació Sindical de Treballadors de Catalunya, the Unió Sindical Obrera de Catalunya, the Coordinadora Obrera Sindical, etc.), student organizations ( Sindicat d'Estudiants dels Països Catalans, Sindicat d'Estudiants del País Valencià, Sindicat Democràtic d'Estudiants de la Universitat de Barcelona, etc.) and journalist organizations (Sindicat de Periodistes de Catalunya / Sindicat de Professionals de la Comunicació, etc.), among others. The members or leaders of these organisations, however, are not called ''síndics''.

Use in property management

In some countries, notably France, Belgium and Brazil, a ''syndic de copropriété'' (Dutch ''syndicus'', Portuguese ''síndico'') is an important figure in millions of lives, elected by owners of condominiums to represent property owners in the management of the co-owned building or property. While the profession is regulated, fees are not, and in France complaints of overcharging are frequent. The ''Association des responsables de copropriété'' (ARC) reported that fees rose by 4% in 2016, though the rate of inflation was only 0.2%, and since 2014 three of the largest ''syndics'' in Paris have raised their fees by amounts ranging from 26% to 37%.''Le Canard enchaîné'' (Paris), June 28, 2017, p. 8.

Use in religious bodies

One special use of the term applies to the Franciscan order of priests and brothers. The

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...

(OFM), as opposed to the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv.), is forbidden by its constitutions from owning property, as part of its commitment to communal poverty. Various arrangements therefore exist whereby churches and houses of the order are owned by the Holy See itself, or the local diocese or, sometimes, by a "syndic", an independent layman who is the actual owner of the land but who loans it to the friars.

Use in anarchist politics

Within syndicalist and anarcho-syndicalist organizations, a syndic is a member of an autonomous union, also called a ''syndicate'', which make up the basic organizational unit of society. As these models are organized along principles of non-hierarchy and direct democracy, the title ''syndic'' is applied to all in the syndicate and does not imply a position of power over any other member, unlike older usages of the title.

References

{{Authority control Latin legal terminology Government lawyers Government officials Local government officers