Alsace will be back in 2021, in the form of a "European collectivity". The agreement was signed Monday, October 29 between the government and elected officials of the two departments of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin.
Government and elected Alsatians agreed on Monday, October 29 in the evening to Matignon for the creation of a "European collectivity Alsace" enhanced skills "by 2021" , in place of the current two departments Alsace, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin.
In addition to the traditional skills of a department, the community "will be enriched by additional and special skills, particularly in terms of cross-border cooperation, bilingualism, attractiveness of the territory, transport and culture" , according to a joint statement adopted at the meeting. But despite this status of super-department, Alsace will remain in the Great East region, as required by President Macron.
State powers transferred
Edouard Philippe extolled a "hand-sewn" agreement with a community that will be "ahead" of what "may be the institutional path" , while the executive wants to strengthen the right to differentiate communities.
In order to create this new community, "on the horizon of January 1, 2021" according to the Prime Minister, it is planned a "concordant deliberation of the two county councils" , then in case of formal agreement, "a decree in Council of State " which will ratify it, then a law that will allow the transfer of communities.
The transferred powers are the responsibility of the State, for example the management of national roads, but there is no planned transfer of regional powers.
According to Edouard Philippe, this new community does not need the constitutional revision, with adoption still uncertain, to be able to enter into force.
The right to differentiation, if it is enshrined in the Constitution next year as the executive wishes, will instead "enrich this base of skills," notes the statement.
European role of Alsace
This was adopted at a meeting bringing together ministers Jacqueline Gourault (Communities), Jean-Michel Blanquer (Education), Elisabeth Borne (Transport) and about thirty elected Alsatians, including the presidents of departmental councils, Frédéric Bierry (Bas-Rhin) and Brigitte Klinkert (Haut-Rhin) as well as the president of the Grand Est region, Jean Rottner.
Emmanuel Macron had also mentioned the subject before, during a lunch with Edouard Philippe and thirty elected officials of the Great East, also intended to prepare for his trip to the region early next week for the centenary of the First World War.
In a joint statement, the presidents of the two departments of Alsace welcomed Monday evening "a historic day for Alsace" after the agreement signed Matignon. "This is to allow Alsace to write a new page in its history in the service of France and the French," wrote Mr. Bierry and Ms. Klinkert. The Socialist Mayor of Strasbourg, Roland Ries, welcomed in a communique, the name of the future collectivity, which "illustrates the very particular European role that Strasbourg and Alsace must play" .
"We are delighted by this major breakthrough for our region, which responds concretely to the" desire for Alsace "expressed by many Alsatians," said Fabienne Keller, Senator LR from Bas-Rhin. Since the abolition in 2015 of the Alsace region, merged within the Grand Est region, Alsatian elected officials demanded the creation of an administrative entity at the Alsace level.