Nawel Rafik-Elmrini: "The Eurodistrict Forum, an exchange platform"
By Noémie Schoen, 2 May 2011
Photo: DNA - J.-C. Dorn
For the launching of the Eurodistrict Forum on 5 may 2011, Nawel Rafik-Elmrini, deputy mayor of Strasbourg, in charge of international and European relations, comes back on the Eurodistrict’s level of expertise and on the importance of exchanging best practices in terms of local democracy. This Forum joins the Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe as the first school of western Europe in the network.
This Eurodistrict Forum contributes to reinforce Strasbourg as an expertise center for local democracy. Where does the initiative come from ?
This project has been suggested by François Friederich and the Association of the Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe, following a request from the sixteen other schools already active. They expressed the hope of sharing their different visions of democracy and cross-border cooperation with their counterparts from western Europe. It is indeed extremely interesting to have the opportunity to share experiences. We have been of course immediately seduced with the idea. First, this was a way to integrate the Council of Europe in the project of the Eurodistrict, which is a specific cross-border territory, aiming at strenghtening the European statute of the city of Strasbourg. Secondly, the idea behind the project was to gather civil servants, economic actors and the medias for the school’s annual seminars. The Eurodistrict exists since 2003 and cooperation has significantly increased since 2008. Despite this, it can not be ignored that beyond the territory directly surrounding the border and the closer we get to the Black Forest, the less the Eurodistrict is known. There was indeed a real problem of communication and of “acculturation” to the Eurodistrict. We have therefore decided to organise, thanks to this Forum, the meeting of elected representatives from small urban districts of the Black Forest with those of Kehl, Strasbourg or Offenburg in order to exchange on their needs and to determine together the concrete measures to undertake.
This allowed elected representatives from the whole territory and not only from those surrounding the Strasbourg-Kehl border to learn about the Eurodistrict and to evaluate their needs in the framework of this close cooperation. The gathering of elected representatives, civil servants and economic actors gives us the opportunity to choose very precise themes to discuss. For example, during the launching of the school that is foreseen on the 5 may 2011, the topics of multi-modality and transports will be addressed by experts ready to bring forward concrete answers. Besides, the seminars will raise a certain number of questions: can the “vélhop” initiative of Strasbourg exist in Offenburg? Can the one dedicated to carsharing be used elsewhere today? Similarly there are maybe other experiences in the Ortenaukreis that we don’t know anything about. Many other precise topics which require very concrete and urgent answers will be discussed with the partners. The question of transports will probably find an answer, but the implementating phase will last longer. For example, the tramway extension is foreseen to reach Kehl. The debate concerns the extension on the german territory.
What are the expectations in regards to this new school, what are its objectives ?
First, it is essential to integrate the approach of the Council of Europe within the Eurodistrict. It is an institution that has its seat in Strabourg but also in the Eurodistrict. Secondly, this school should introduce the Eurodistrict to all the differents actors and inhabitants of the territory and not just to those coming from big cities like Offenburg, Kehl, Oberkirsch or Strasbourg. Thirdly, the networking with the sixteen other schools should introduce the expertise of our territory but also our shortcomings, our failures beyond the borders of the Eurodistrict.
How do you see the integration of the Eurodistrict Forum in the network of schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe?
The Eurodistrict Forum will deal with a number of very precise issues such as multi-modality, health or environment. But the approach needs to inlude the citizen’s participation. Local democracy and the involvement of the citizens in the elaboration of the municipal policy is one of our mandate priority in Strasbourg, like it is in other cities of the Ortenaukreis and beyond. We enjoy a certain know-how and expertise since some tools of local democray have been implemented since 2008: district councils, foreign resident councils or project workshops. Today we are in the middle of our mandate in a period of evaluation. Some district councils will be renewed which will enable us to evaluate what works from what does not. We have a certain level of expertise even if it is not always perfect. Good practices, and even mistakes and failures can be a way to talk about Strasbourg with the other schools and address with them a strategy. I think that there are always benefits to share with other countries what has successfully been implemented in Strasbourg in terms of local democracy.
