A dozen locally-elected representatives on the “Notre Europe” list for the European elections called in an opinion piece for a strong but decentralised Europe that is closer to the day-to-day concerns of local players.
On Tuesday, Jean-Christophe Fromantin, mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine in the Paris region, France’s second richest city after the capital, and a dozen other local elected representatives signed an article in the newspaper Le Monde calling on the EU to give power back to local people.
“Never have we needed Europe so much […] But never has Europe seemed so distant, bureaucratic and disconnected from our day-to-day concerns”, they write.
These members of the “Notre Europe” list led by Fromantin see themselves as heirs to a right-wing, pro-European Christian democracy, but with grassroots expertise provided by mayors, regional or departmental councillors and members of civil society.
At a time when the EU is under attack from all sides, whether from extreme parties or from a large section of the right, which is looking for reasons for public inaction amid farmers’ anger, the authors call for “more Europe” and above all “better Europe”.
In their view, it is unacceptable that local elected representatives “are never directly confronted with the European institutions” and that MEPs are also “cut off from the regions”.
“The local level must become the starting point, quite simply because it is where every one of us lives on a daily basis”, said the signatories.
Shared sovereignty
As explained in the article, subsidiarity should give rise to “shared sovereignty”. At the local level, rural political and economic players are “more creative, more entrepreneurial and more competitive”. They are also “in the best position to develop strategies for revitalisation and differentiation”.
For several weeks now, Fromantin has been campaigning for local authorities to be able to derogate from a European directive if they do not meet local needs.
For its part, the national state must strengthen its role in key areas such as education, health, justice, regional ecology, the police and the army. Conversely, the EU must ensure its geopolitical, economic and technological power in the face of other major groups such as the US and China.
According to “Notre Europe” members, well-defined and well-balanced subsidiarity will lead to greater efficiency and more freedom, two “essential aspirations of our fellow citizens”.
Although the list has not yet managed to stand out in the polls, it could still upset François-Xavier Bellamy (LR/EPP), another liberal-conservative candidate, who is currently hovering around 10%.
(Hugo Struna | Euractiv.fr)
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