With the pandemic, climate change, economic turmoil and the war in Ukraine, Europe has rarely faced so many simultaneous crises as in recent years, and local authorities are often on the front line. “As we cannot prevent crises, are we well enough prepared to deal with them?” asked Andrew Boff (United Kingdom, R, ECR) at the start of a debate on Thursday 23 March on “Resilience of cities and regions in the face of multiple crises.”
In 2021, during the Covid‑19 pandemic, the Congress already voiced concern about a risk of “recentralisation”, an approach advocated by some countries as a way of tackling the public health crisis more effectively. On the contrary, it was by strengthening their powers and upholding the principles of local self-government, even in times of crisis, that local and regional authorities would be made more resilient, said Mr Boff, including with regard to the threats that climate change was posing to the survival of humanity. The Congress had to help local and regional authorities to improve their responses to crises and disasters, and it would step up its work on these issues.
Congress welcomes local authorities’ responsiveness during the earthquakes in Türkiye
The evidence of the essential role of local authorities in the face of major crises was tragically recalled during the earthquakes of February 2023, which devastated the south-east of Türkiye, claiming at least 50,000 victims. The Mayor of Konya, Ugur Ibrahim Altay, who had visited Hatay, the hardest-hit city in the country, praised the swiftness of the relief efforts undertaken by all local rescue services in the areas concerned. He also praised the great solidarity displayed by the towns and cities twinned with those in the devastated regions. If relief, food and the health of the inhabitants were the first priorities, the construction of shelters for the population and the reconstruction began, including that of its main historical monuments, underlined Mr. Altay, recalling that the links and friendships forged by Turkish cities with the rest of the world have fostered international solidarity, which also starts at the local level.
During the debate, many Turkish members of the Congress highlighted the responsiveness and solidarity of all Turkish local authorities in coming to the aid of the destroyed regions, while central government had frequently been criticised for the slowness of its responses. It will be necessary to rebuild these regions in a more “sustainable” way than in the past, particularly in terms of anti-seismic standards, while ensuring that the local fabric that sustains them is recreated, explained Cemal Bas (Türkiye, L, EPP/CCE). The February disaster also reminds us that a large part of Türkiye is threatened by comparable tragedies, worried Hasan Akgun (Türkiye, L, SOC / V / DP) calling on the city of Istanbul to prepare better against to an earthquake that could destroy more than 400,000 buildings in an instant and cause hundreds of thousands of victims. “It is not the earthquakes that kill, but the collapses that ensue”, reminded several other members.
“The mutual support from the local authorities warms our hearts,” added Andrew Boff, pointing out in the passing that far from just being opportunities to make fine speeches, town twinning arrangements proved particularly useful in crisis situations.
Taking better account of young peoples’ concerns about major crises
In another context, the Mayor of Bristol (United Kingdom), Marvin Rees, described some crisis response measures put in place by his city, in particular the “One City Approach,” which brought together many public and private stakeholders to make the city healthier, more liveable and more sustainable. In his view, all cities should incorporate resilience in their action programmes, given the growing concerns about the future, and co-operate on these issues through international networks.
Apart from their direct effects, disasters and wars are really traumatic for young people even if they are not directly confronted with them: “there is a mental health crisis among young people and a sharp rise in cases of depression,” said the Swiss youth delegate, Darleen Pfister. Echoing a recommendation from the Bern Youth Parliament, she called for the young people most affected by this psychological suffering to receive support from mentors capable of helping them through the situation.
According to the Dutch youth delegate, Dema Elya, all crisis management at local level should take account of the views and perspectives of young people. While it was useful to expand volunteering to better prepare the public for crises, local elected representatives also needed to communicate more effectively and more transparently with young people and their representatives. For his part, the Italian youth delegate, Giulio Bernasconi, said that listening more closely to young people would boost their trust in society and politics. The Congress youth delegates are currently also preparing recommendations on this subject for elected representatives.
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44th Session
Agenda – Web file – Multimedia (Live webcasts, interviews, videos and photo)
