The town of Faches Thulesnil has declared itself in a state of climate emergency -

PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP

  • On September 18, Faches Thumesnil declared itself in a state of climate emergency.

  • After Lille, this town of 18,000 inhabitants has become the second northern city to vote for this symbolic act.

  • But the municipal opposition, which denounces a political display, abstained when voting this declaration. 

It is only the second northern municipality to do so.

On September 18, the city of Faches-Thumesnil declared itself in a state of climate and ecological emergency.

Almost a year after Lille, the neighboring municipality of 18,000 inhabitants decided to pass this decision through the municipal council.

An above all symbolic announcement as recognized by Patrick Proisy, the new mayor of the city, elected last March.

“During the municipal campaign, we realized that the theme of ecology came up most often in front of security.

There was a will on the part of the inhabitants to move forward on this subject.

With this declaration of a climate emergency, there is a communication and symbolic part that is important.

But making a symbol is never lost.

Thanks to this communication, people will be aware of this and take an interest in what is happening in the city in terms of ecology.

Because we want to pass all our decisions under the prism of ecology, ”explains the mayor from France Insoumise.

The opposition denounces a political display

Explanations that did not convince the opposition to the new municipal team which did not vote for this declaration of climate emergency.

“We abstained because the budget, the actions and the explanations given by the majority on what was actually going to be done are not worked at all.

I agree with this question of the climate emergency.

Simply, the way in which the question is asked with this very local manifesto without hanging up on the climate plan of the MEL, without working with the actors to see how we could finance actions is not at all supported.

We are purely in the political display ”tackles Frédérique Seels, municipal councilor of opposition.

Attacks that the mayor of the city sweeps away with the back of his hand.

“For the opposition, there is not enough concrete.

They needed an action plan that had already been put together to the comma for the next six years.

I am in favor of doing something concrete and taking all possible input to make ecology concrete.

And for me, waiting for the number of pollution in the city to act is not concrete enough.

This declaration will allow us to go through the prism of ecology all the files that will concern the city such as major construction projects for example, ”explains Patrick Proisy.

A project manager recruited to hunt for subsidies

And to back up his point, the first city councilor recalls that the city has just released 150,000 euros to “do concrete things” such as installing bicycle terminals, setting up a bicycle bonus or even revegetating facades.

Decisions also voted by the opposition.

A project manager has also just been recruited by the city to put together funding files by seeking grants from institutional partners.

It remains to be seen whether these means put in place will be enough to convince everyone in Faches Thumesnil.

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