“We are in an intercommunity and there is a heritage in an intercommunity with successive presidents (…). To carry out the projects, it takes a long time and shared between different political majorities,” recalls Alain Anziani, this September 19. If he first alludes to the 20th anniversary of the tramway, which will be celebrated at the end of the year, and to the Simone Veil bridge, which will open next summer after seven years of work, the socialist president of Bordeaux Métropole also addresses metropolitan elected officials from all sides. A form of warning to everyone while discussions take place behind the scenes.
In the PS as in the right and center opposition, no one anymore wants to talk about the return of co-management to Bordeaux Métropole, arguing that the term refers to a bygone era when right and left mayors shared the vice-presidencies of intercommunity. But yet, having reached the halfway point of the mandate, the majority fact ratified in 2020 by the alliance between socialists, ecologists and communists will evolve again in the coming weeks in favor of “extended” or “shared” governance. Taking advantage of occasional but regular disagreements between the PS and the Greens, the right was able to play its part and even obtained at the end of 2021 the reinstatement of opposition mayors to the metropolitan office in exchange for their support for the extension of the LGV to Toulouse and Dax.
But if there were disagreements within the majority, these first three years also and above all allowed the vote on a whole series of strategic documents: Climate plan, Economic development scheme, Mobility diagram or even the transition to water management. This does not prevent Alain Anziani from wanting to protect his back while seeking to demine the political dimension of the subject to make it a simple institutional question:
“No revolution is in sight, no return to co-management is planned, no change of majority is in the works! »he said.
“Ensuring majorities on strategic subjects”
Between his allies in the majority and the elected representatives of the opposition, the socialist president intends to rise to the occasion to ensure what he judges to be the best interests of the agglomeration. Hence his desire to seek majorities with variable geometry depending on the subjects:
“ We can find consensus while respecting our differences. There are not several categories of mayors, we must all work together and the idea is therefore to propose delegations to all mayors without calling into question the current majority. Discussions are ongoing “, explains the socialist president.
“I must ensure the proper functioning of the Metropolis and ensure majorities on strategic subjects by working first with environmentalists and communists but not only. (…) The intercommunality must respect all mayors! »
Aeronautics and LGV
Among these “strategic subjects”, Alain Anziani cites financial support for LGV to Toulouse and Dax, while a new vote will take place at the end of the year. But the one who is also the mayor of Mérignac and its airport also ensures support for the aeronautical industry, the airport area and, more broadly, the economic development of the region. Sensitive subjects on which socialists and ecologists do not hide their disagreements.
A former lawyer, the socialist president is therefore trying to square the circle: seduce the opposition without offending his natural partners in the majority. “ In 2020, co-management could have continued if the right and the center had accepted our proposal (of three vice-presidencies, Editor’s note). This was not the case, I regret it,” he explains. And if he wishes to take advantage of this evolution towards expanded governance to “ clarify positions with the Greens on certain subjects “, there is no question at this stage of changing the majority agreement concluded with them in 2020. Discussions are expected to continue in the coming weeks. For its part, the Métropole commune(s) group, which brings together elected officials from the right and the center, welcomes “ common sense » by Alain Anziani and is waiting to push his advantage.
