Since the Revolution, they have been the democratic glue that binds France together.

After 1789, it was decreed there should be a mayor everywhere there was a church steeple, even if only a smattering of houses surrounded it.

But this quintessential face of French village life, one whom locals but also British expatriates and homeowners turn to for administrative help, could be under threat.

According to a study out this week, half of France’s 35,357 mayors want to throw in the towel in 2020, with many saying they have lost too much power and status to meet citizens’ increasingly exacting demands.

“Honestly, I think we’ve reached the end of the road when it comes to small town, rural mayors,”…