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The President of the Republic opened an Estonian-French joint workshop28.09.2004
President Arnold Rüütel today in Tallinn opened the Estonian-French joint workshop "Opportunities of Local Government in the European Union".
According to the President of the Republic, local self-government played central role in ensuring democratic governance in society. "Well-functioning and citizen-centred local self-government is one of the crucial yardsticks of democratic society. Local self-governance is truly the source and real basis of actual people's power," the Head of State said.
President Rüütel noted that the future Europe had also been defined as a Europe of regions and local governments. "It means that the importance of local governments in solving local issues will significantly grow and the balance of powers between central and local authorities will be determined by the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government," told the President of the Republic.
The Head of State also said that the system of local self-government having taken shape over time contained historical traditions and values. "At the same time, the local self-governance must be open to changes and capable of absorbing valuable experience of other countries, too. Therefore, the traditions and experience of local self-governance having consistently evolved in the EU countries serve as an important example for designing a forward-looking model of Estonia's local self-governance," spoke President Rüütel.
The Estonian-French joint workshop takes place on September 28-29 in Tallinn, in the conference hall on the ground floor of the Sütiste House (Sütiste tee 21). The workshop was organised on the initiative of the President's Roundtable on Local Government and Regional Development and the Commission on Development of Public Administration and Local Government of the President's Academic Council in collaboration with the French Embassy.
The workshop's roundtables feature, among others, Professor Marie-Luce Pavia from the University of Montpellier and Jean-Claude Ebel, the Director for International Cooperation of DATAR (France's Delegation for Spatial Planning and Regional Development). From the Estonian side, Minister of Finance Taavi Veskimägi, Minister of Internal Affairs Margus Leivo, Minister of Regional Affairs Jaan Õunapuu, Member of the Riigikogu Helir-Valdor Seeder, the Chairman of the Association of Estonian Cities, Mayor of Kuressaare Jaanus Tamkivi, and others will give talks.
Public Relations Unit of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, September 28, 2004
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