Why are cities and regions seen as the best way to convey European policies on the ground? Wolfgang Schuster, president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), mayor of Stuttgart, on the occasion of the CEMR's 60th anniversary on 28 January 2011 (see Europolitics 4130) explains.
What has the CEMR contributed over the past 60 years?
In 1951, after the Second World War, almost no personal links existed between former enemies. Then mayors from six countries came together and said: "Let's start a new Europe". It was a dream, a wish. It became true. The CEMR is an organisation that brings the idea of Europe to citizens in a very practical way.
Twinning was highly important. In 1946, the first British visitors to Germany decided not only to reconstruct buildings, but also to create a new Europe. In Stuttgart, for example, people came from St Helens in the North-West of England, which was then a city rich with coal and glass factories. They arranged to bring windows. It was practical cooperation. Other private initiatives underlay this incredible twinning movement. Today, millions of people are involved in exchanges between schools, musicians, local authorities and other groups. For me, it is extremely important that this opportunity for individual understanding continues.
How is the twinning movement today?
It is very much alive. Of course it has changed. In the 1960s we had a second wave with the North-South dialogue. With the fall of the Iron Curtain, there was new impetus to get close to cities of the former Russia Pact. The internet gives you lots of information. But it cannot replace personal contacts if you want to understand Europe's richness and diversity.
What should the CEMR's main role be in the future?
We are a strong voice for local and regional authorities in Europe. We have expertise and are close to the people. European policy must be linked to citizens' real lives.
Strong local self-government is not a tradition in many European countries. One of my key projects is to build a European academy for local and regional governments, which could provide a systematic exchange of good examples and practices.
Europe needs a human face. The twinning movement develops closer understanding and a feeling of belonging. People can feel the advantages of living in Europe with its rich diversity, cultures and languages. We are not one nation like the United States. We are different.
Europe should be a partner for solidarity, both inside Europe and towards developing countries. Many private initiatives and non-profit bodies are active here. In Stuttgart alone, over 100 different organisations work with the third world. I created a platform to make them visible and give support. Europe is not a fortress. Building a new Berlin Wall around Europe is not an answer for me.
Finally, we need a strong commitment from our 53 member organisations in 39 countries. Naturally, they will ask what is in it for them. My answer is that in Europe we need a system of governance involving every level of political activity.
We must prove multilevel governance works. The Commission's Europe 2020' strategy focuses specifically on employment, innovation, energy and climate change. Our cities and local authorities face these challenges every day. So let's work together through networks, not by top-down regulations. Every city has its networks. By linking all our efforts, we will help everyone's wellbeing.
The practical benefits for the public?
Take the CERM networks. We can propose pilot projects to demonstrate how the partnership of bottom up, not top down, can work. Hopefully, we can then use the formula more widely.
In Stuttgart, I started a European network on integration policy six years ago. We now have strong policy links with the German government. You will find the same thinking in the European Commission. We will create a network of local, regional, national and European contacts. This will include seven universities in five countries as well as thirty different cities in twenty five countries. That's my strategy. European Commission President Barroso has told me he is keen to see this succeed.
How will you monitor implementation on the ground?
Let's take education. It is strongly linked to training, integration and even housing. The European Commission has no legal competence for education. So you need personal commitments. At the end of the day, if something is decided, you need a monitoring system. In Stuttgart, we created a European network to see if pledges become reality. That's a completely different approach. Previously, we were thinking in terms of hierarchies. Now we think of networks. This is partnership governance - a contract where each partner has to bring legal responsibility and expertise. Our pilot initiatives can blaze a trail for this new way of consolidating Europe as a joint venture with multiple partners.
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