I can't talk for every european country of course but, in the one I know, yes mayors... really have the power to organize something.
Of course everything you said leg is right but there are differences depending on the country and in Europe (IMO) the law is not that easily enforced in the countryside. If central power start to weaken, local custom will quickly replace it. I think that this kind of local rule would be in place faster in the most remote areas. In less remote area you might have tension between the true locals and the people coming from cities.
About Scotland, I have a question, wouldn't you still have some kind of clanic behavior?
In Belgium, the local "Bourgmestre" can be quite powerful and that may be true even in cities. In Liege, for exemple, people would certainly obey the Prince and the city governor could very well do something.
In France (assuming it is not as organized as described per cannon), it could depend. Forget about cities and suburbs-like areas. Small towns can survive, however, but they would not escape some kind of riots. Villages, on the other hand, have a good chance to organize. The mayor is officer of justice and people still are very much aware of that.
Even today, every year, mayors are taking decisions that are entirely against the law. When they have the support of their population, it is not that easily broken. Last year several villages have started using illegal engine fuels because of the oil price. They did openly and went away with it. During the same period, some villages reduced there consumption of oil to a tremendous level in a matter of weeks. They simply turned to local type of fuel.
A few years ago, a village refused that an old ww2 senegalese soldiers was taken out of the country. The gendarmerie soon find out that if it was to carry out its orders, it would have to fight the entire population. Moreover, in protest, that village stopped paying state taxes during a short period.
In fact, in regard to the law, the mayors power are not that important but he can benefit from a tremendous amount of respect among a village population (it will entirely depend on the person). In the last election, in my village, the mayor was reelected with 80% of the votes. It was because of his achievement not because of his political party.
Moreover, local associations may help organize.
In Portugal, I would expect the organization to be almost authomatic in some region. My mother used to live there and we had witnessed some interesting facts in that country.
Once, we saw a custom police car coming into our place. It had been hit by no less than 50 bullets. The custom officers tried to intercept a truck. That truck turned around and chased them for miles.
During the huge forest fire that occured there a few years ago, one of the incendiary was burned to death, tied up to a tree. The investigation found nothing. Villagers collectively killed the guy and no one ever said anything.
A girl was raped. The guy who comited the rape was found hung to a tree. Again the investigation found nothing for the same reason.
The level of organization will depend on the place, on the leader charisma and on the internal tension. Moreover, don't forget that, in areas, the priest or the religious leader can also be of some weight.
One thing about EMP. In a previous thread one of us argued that EMP would not affect cars that much as they are faraday cage. I think he was right. However, the general electrical infrastructures will be affected.
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