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Editorial by Robert Herrmann, President of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg, President of the MOT

March 2020

Editorial by Robert Herrmann, President of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg, President of the MOT

The coronavirus epidemic affects us directly; we will overcome the challenge thanks to personal vigilance and solidarity. This special edition of the MOT newsletter shows the lack of projection and coordination beyond borders, at European and global level. As elected representative from a cross-border metropolis, capital of an open Europe, I would like to  recall  that the virus knows no borders... The only approach that makes sense is cooperation! When faced with danger and uncertainty, our cultures, our systems of solidarity and decision-making remain above all national. At a time of containment, borders remain legitimate, but deserve a coordinated and consensual proximity management.

It is now time to learn to move forward together! Faced with the interdependence of our territories, this issue reveals a full-scale experiment: teleworking, including for cross-border workers; sharing of knowledge and resources; the first decisions taken by the European Commission. We need to think about the future. Let us provide the EU with new tools for dealing with large-scale crises, more ambitious policies integrating public health, a significant budget for the post-2020 period, new own resources, better tax coordination between States, and a more active democracy. In this way, Europe will make further progress in overcoming this new crisis.Thank you all, public service professionals, ordinary citizens, builders of our Europe at its borders, for your commitment.Take care of yourself!

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