FRENCH PM JEAN CASTEX CONFIRMS THE PLEDGE OF €16Bn TO THE PREFECTS

USPA NEWS - During the 16th Convention of the Regions of France, the Prime Minister Jean Castex, announced that the prefects will be given the €16 billion promised as part of the recovery plan over the "next few weeks" but elected officials are still hoping for a decentralizing impetus. « Confidence is more than ever a cardinal virtue in these troubled times “, Jean Castex as he insisted a lot on this notion of confidence, on Monday before the presidents of regions gathered in their 16th edition of convention, held in Saint-Ouen, at the headquarters of the Region Ile-de-France (Paris and suburbs). Jean Castex, asked them to broadcast it locally. The Prime Minister, the Guets of Honour, of this annual meeting, was eagerly awaited, in particular for the details he could provide on the way, in which the State was going to deploy its national recovery plan, France relaunch, at the level of the territories. The Prime Minister ruled out any postponement of the 100 billion Euro stimulus plan because of the second wave of COVID-19, the impact of which he recognized on the economy and on employment. "The health crisis will have repercussions ... Its effects are already being felt and will increase,"

RECOVERY PLAN AND THE FRENCH TERRITORIES 'SHARE--------------------------------------------------------------------- The head of government wanted to reassure regional elected officials on the budgets provided but also on the calendar. He specified in particular that the prefects would be endowed, "in the coming weeks" with 16 billion euros and that a circular would be distributed "from this week" to describe the stages of territorialization. He also assured that 600 million euros registered in the PLF 2021 would be accessible "from this year" and that the compensation would be at the rendezvous. “The recovery will only be rapid and vigorous if it is anchored in the territories,“ added Jean Castex, promising the solidity of the pairs of regional prefects / regional presidents and prefects / mayors. Sitting in co-chairs within the regional committees of the recovery plan, the presidents of the regions will thus be at the forefront of its implementation, according to the Prime Minister. Jean Castex also recalled his government's commitment to mobility (5.9 billion over the period 2021-2027), as well as to support for young people, through increased training. Then, recalling the "difficult situation" in France, he defended the relevance of the measures taken, his method which he wishes to apply in "a spirit of consultation" but also the prospects for decentralization within the framework of the 3D law in come.

DECENTRALIZATION ACCORDING TO PM CASTEX?------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before the arrival of Jean Castex, in the name of the united Territories still united, Hervé Morin (regions), Dominique Bussereau (departments) and François Baroin (mayors) denounced the “centralizing culture“ of the State. “The last six years have been the worst time to re-centralize“ lamented Baroin. “In reality, things are not moving forward,“ regretted Bussereau. “Jacobinism is a powerful genetic code,“ Morin condemned. At the end of the day, Renaud Muselier, president of the Regions of France welcomed a congress of “good behavior“ and “concrete“ responses, but his colleagues were more reserved. Hervé Morin left the congress with the feeling of having heard a simple “catalog“, a “recapitulation“ of measures. The president of the Ile-de-France region Valérie Pecresse also gave the feeling of having remained hungry: “In fact, everything is open. I hope this 3D law will not be cosmetic. If they do, you can quickly access something solid. But here again the subject is: will the state say yes or no? “. For his part, if François Bonneau welcomed the dialogue initiated, considering that efforts had been made on the question of means, he said he was waiting for real decentralization. "It is by this yardstick that we will say if we are recognized", declared the president of Center-Val de Loire. Even Jean Rottner, president of the Grand Est (The Great East), had hoped for a "stronger message" on the recovery plan that he would have liked to have defended as a "real chance" to initiate the new chapter of a decentralization expected with force at all levels. local communities. The Regions, which define themselves as the “HQ of reconstruction“ will still have to wait. Source: Regions de France