The first president of the brand new European Collectivity of Alsace, Frederic Bierry, on January 2 in Colmar.

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AFP

It left for the European Collectivity of Alsace (CEA), a sort of administrative merger of the two Alsatian departments.

After the election on Saturday of Frédéric Bierry, president of this "new assembly", this body will be able to concretely implement its roadmap set three years ago and satisfy this "desire for Alsace" ... even if it remains firmly established in the Grand-Est region.

An Alsatian community which represents nearly 1.9 million inhabitants and 6,000 territorial agents.

If it now ranks fourth among departmental authorities, its strength lies above all in being located at the heart of Rhine Europe, the continent's economic engine.

A community which obviously receives new skills from those which usually fall to a single department and from which it intends to derive many advantages.

Bilingualism, tourism and roads

Beyond the usual competences which fall to the departments, the CEA will endeavor to facilitate, strengthen and develop cross-border cooperation with our German and Swiss neighbors but also to establish the link with the Grand-Est region.

It thus becomes a “model” for other French regions in terms of cross-border cooperation.

The idea is to promote the territory's international influence, its identity, to strengthen bilingualism and regional culture by improving the training offer for young people.

It could for example recruit French-German speakers.

Bilingualism but also tourism.

The objective is to enhance the heritage, with the other partners, whether institutional or private, on both sides of the Rhine and to forge economic links in this sector which offers employment.

But among the first major projects of the CEA, the transfer by the State since January 1 of non-concessionary roads and highways, which represents around 300 kilometers of asphalt including the A35 which crosses all of Alsace.

That is to say the management of a total of 6,600 km of roads and highways.

A responsibility which requires it to quickly make key strategic choices on mobility, while at the same time the Western Bypass of Strasbourg (COS) is emerging.

Choices that will necessarily have a concrete impact on road traffic, especially heavy goods vehicles.

The CEA, for example, obtains the possibility of setting up a fee for the latter, a kind of "ecotax" without naming it.

Next step, the choice of the seat and the election of 80 councilors from Alsace, probably in June.

A question that could already strain the debates because Mulhouse and Colmar also claim the new instance.

In the meantime, by order of the State, it is in Strasbourg that the provisional headquarters will be installed.

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