According to Carol Delga, “Local anchorage is the best bulwark against the RN.”

Carol Delga, head of France’s regions, expects the government to provide “mechanisms of action” to respond to the “confusion of the French”, believing “local anchorage is the best dam against the RN” in an interview with AFP.

“This five-year term begins in a very different way than the previous one”, marked by strong tensions between the communities and the administration, recognizes the PS president of Occitanie (Allier) before the conference of the regions of France on Thursday and Friday in Vichy.

President Emmanuel Macron received key associations of elected officials at the Elysee Palace last week and reviews them twice a year, while Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who is due to speak in Vichy on Friday, has already met several times. Stuck.

The President “learned from his mistakes (…) and there is a need to work differently with local elected officials with a relative majority in Parliament”, assures Mrs. Delga, “waiting for these first objectives of creative work”. Confirmed by deeds.

– “We ask for proof of support” –

“We ask Ms. Bourne to act in order to respond to the disruption and environmental emergency of French men and women,” he explains, noting that energy prices are undermining regional budgets. Especially in transportation and construction.

“Especially because the price of fuel greatly affects school transport or the financing of the train, where the economic model of the train is at risk, its development is necessary to fight against global warming. We cannot wait for 2023, with regard to the pricing of the train, without an exceptional subsidy,” warns the President of Occitanie.

“We are ready to do our part, but we are asking for evidence from the state side to support a massive public investment initiative,” he adds.

Facing Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, Ms. Delga replied that “the regions have already done them”, adding that the public deficit “is done by the state bodies” and not by the regions “whose debts are under control”.

“I want the specific financial situation of the regions to be taken into account. Our investments increased by 21% between 2019 and 2021, but our operating costs also increased”, he underlines.

“However, unlike other communities, in 2022, our allocation from the state has decreased by 50 million. Through this scissor effect, our self-financing capacity was less than two years ago,” assured the elected PS. “We cannot ask more of those to whom we give less.”

– “Leaving the field” –

Decentralization has been her hobby since she took over as head of France’s regions a year ago. Delga expects a major law that will “really revolutionize the relationship between the state and communities” in five years.

“We are waiting for a new era of decentralization, through which we can adapt the subpolicy. In other words, when there is a problem, we first see if the local authorities can act,” he notes.

But in the meantime, Ms. Delga appealed for “quick actions” in areas such as employment, training, energy or energy renewal and reindustrialisation.

In his view, “social determinism is a way to fight against the glass ceiling”, but also a way to counter the thrust of the national rally during presidential and legislative elections, especially in rural areas.

“Local anchoring is the best dam against the extreme right”, he assures, citing the example of Renaud Muselier, the former LR leader of the PACA region against the RN’s candidate, thanks to the left’s withdrawal.

After PS’s disappointments in the presidential election, Mrs Delga said, “I am sure that this anchor will be useful for us in rebuilding our party. We have to start from the ground”.