In Colmar on Monday morning, Frédéric Bierry, the president of the European Community of Alsace (CEA - which has brought together the departmental councils of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin since 2021), displayed a beaming smile when the results were announced: 92 4% of some 150,000 voters in this "Citizen's consultation on the future of Alsace" voted in favor of restoring a "full-fledged" Alsace region.

"The people of Alsace have expressed themselves very clearly", he said with satisfaction at the end of this election organized by the CEA from December 21 to February 15 by mail, on the Internet and at the ballot box.

"The Great East was a parenthesis, we are going to become a region in its own right again", promised Frédéric Bierry despite the essentially symbolic scope of this consultation.

The president of the European Community of Alsace Frédéric Bierry on January 2, 2021 in Colmar SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP / Archives

Present in her capacity as elected representative of the CEA, the Minister responsible for Integration Brigitte Klinkert, also in favor of the restoration of the Alsace region, simply undertook to relay "this request to the Prime Minister and the President of the French Republic ".

"With 88% non-participation, moderation is essential", replied at the start of the afternoon the president of the Grand Est region Jean Rottner, stressing that less than 12% of the Alsatian electorate had mobilized despite the "ECA campaign hype".

"I take note (...) of the result of the consultation launched by Frédéric Bierry, which is neither a vote nor an expression of a regulatory nature", he continued as a fierce opponent of the dismantling of the Grand Est, before to counter-attack, believing that "it is time for the ECA to honor its missions".

Jean Rottner (LR) on June 27, 2021 in Strasbourg Frederick FLORIN AFP / Archives

This pass of arms between the presidents of the two communities, however both members of LR, illustrates once again the debate which agitates many Alsatians and the local political class since the creation of the Grand Est region in 2016.

"A new page"

Both criticize the territorial reform desired by ex-president François Hollande for having diluted the Alsatian identity in this overly vast ensemble with no real historical coherence which has since brought together Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne- Ardennes.

To respond at least partially to this "desire for Alsace", a law paved the way for the creation of the CEA in August 2019.

And the question had again been raised by several Alsatian list leaders, including Brigitte Klinkert, during the 2021 regional campaign. During a visit to Alsace, Prime Minister Jean Castex himself confided that he had "never convinced" by the "huge regions, some of which have no historical legitimacy".

These declarations seemed to confirm the supporters of a return to the Alsace region, such as Frédéric Bierry who hastened to demand the "dismantling of the Grand Est region".

The Minister of Territorial Cohesion Jacqueline Gourault had however endeavored to extinguish the fire, excluding any "questioning of the current perimeters of the regions".

Wasted effort.

On the strength of the result of the citizen consultation, the CEA undertook on Monday to "challenge all the candidates for the presidential election" and to "work on the modalities" of a "return to the Alsace region" with the next president of the Republic.

On the right, the rebirth of Alsace is defended by Marine Le Pen just like Nicolas Dupont-Aignan.

For the Modem deputy from Haut-Rhin Bruno Fuchs, this consultation opens "a new page for Alsace".

Conversely, the socialist Pernelle Richardot, elected to the regional council, judged that Alsace had "its place in the Grand Est region".

As for the ecologist mayor of Strasbourg Jeanne Barseghian, she expressed "serious reservations", calling on the CEA to "concretely implement the skills which are already its own".

© 2022 AFP