The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron is going to Strasbourg this Sunday on the occasion of Europe Day.

He will be confronted with the concerns of elected officials, while the European Parliament seems to abandon its seat in Strasbourg in favor of that of Brussels since the start of the health crisis.

DECRYPTION

On the occasion of Europe Day, this Sunday, May 9, Emmanuel Macron is traveling this afternoon to Strasbourg, in Alsace.

The Head of State will officially kick off the Conference on the Future of Europe, a process for consulting citizens on the development of the European Union.

He will also sign a new three-year contract (2021-2023) with local authorities to strengthen Strasbourg's status as European capital.

In this city, the hemicycle of the European Parliament has been empty for more than a year: because of the health crisis, all plenary sessions are now held in Brussels.

To the chagrin of the Alsatian elected officials who expect a lot from the arrival of Emmanuel Macron.

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The last plenary dates back to February 2020

The Strasbourg seat of the European Parliament has been a source of endless controversy for decades, as it is only occupied a few days a month for plenary sessions, most of the parliamentary work being done in Brussels.

The last plenary meeting in Strasbourg dates back to February 2020, to the delight of some pro-Brussels MEPs but to the dismay of the French authorities, who fear a lasting neglect in favor of the Belgian capital.

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These are therefore on the offensive.

Strasbourg is "the capital of the soul and the heart" of Europe, said Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with

Latest News from Alsace

(DNA) published online Saturday.

"If Brussels is the capital of the offices of Europe, Strasbourg is the capital of its soul and its heart: where we think it is, where we defend our values", he continued.

"Europe is not a project that fits into a single city. Europe is not a project of hegemony. It is a project of balance."

"The health situation in terms of figures is almost twice as serious in Brussels as in Strasbourg"

"I am not fooled by the fact that a certain number of opponents to the headquarters in Strasbourg are using the health crisis as a pretext", declared the mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, on Sunday on Europe 1. "However, I have also exchanges with many European parliamentarians who tell me that they are eager to come back to our city ", she assures us.

For the mayor, it is high time for Parliament to resume its place in Strasbourg.

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At the microphone of Europe 1, MEP Fabienne Keller (Renew Europe) understands that the health situation, very tense in the Grand Est a year ago, has prevented meetings in Strasbourg.

But that would no longer make sense today, she said.

"The health situation in terms of figures is almost twice as serious in Brussels as in Strasbourg ... I do not see how Parliament could still justify" this decision, she said.

What everyone expects in Strasbourg is that Emmanuel Macron announces the return of the sessions in Strasbourg for the month of June.