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70 years bridging nations through towns and regions

The Presidents of CEMR

On 28 January 1951, a group of mayors and local representatives from Benelux, Denmark, France, Italy, Switzerland, and West Germany founded the Council of European Municipalities (CEM) in Geneva.

Mayors and local representatives saw the importance of building a cross-border network of cooperation and solidarity. CEM’s early actions materialised in the inauguration of the Town Twinning programme to foster peace, dialogue and post-war reconciliation. In 1984, the “R” was added to include regions and counties to recognise the powers regions had acquired, namely in Belgium,France, the United Kingdom and Spain.

As a champion of local democracy and autonomy, CEMR has shaped Europe for 70 years and its sixty member associations collaborate and work on a wide range of issues including governance, territorial development, inclusion, gender equality, climate and energy transition.

The Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence, home to the archives of CEMR, contributes by exploring 70 years of CEMR’s life through the lens of its eleven presidents.

Poster on the Europe Day produced by the Council of Europe - Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe on 5 May 1980. HAEU, CCRE-DOC-02-06_04

Fernand Cottier (1951-1953 Mayor of Geneva)
Under Fernand Cottier, the CEM set to work on promoting local democracy, notably with the adoption of the European Charter of Municipal Liberties in Versailles in October 1953.

Fernand Cottier, in the middle, listening to a lively exchange between Amedeo Peyron, mayor of Turin, and Edouard Ronce, Belgian Senator, during the first States General of European Municipalities in Versailles on 16 October 1953. HAEU, CCRE-821- Photo: ERSC-USIA

Émile Hamilius (1953-1959, Mayor of Luxembourg)
Émile Hamilius had been a member of the CEM promoting committee, later becoming president of the organisation. As a mayor of Luxembourg, he enabled the historic twinning with the city of Metz. The forms codified on this occasion, and the texts adopted are identical to those still in use today in the twinning procedures.

Émile Hamilius giving an address at the inaugural session of the High Authority held in Luxembourg on 10 August 1952. © Photothèque de la Ville de Luxembourg / Théo Mey

Henry Cravatte (1959-1984, Mayor of Diekirch, Luxembourg)
Cravatte's presidency was marked by the promotion of equality between women and men in local life. In 1983, pioneer women politicians organised a first conference in Pisa to address the issue. A Standing Committee for Equality was created, and the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life was launched in 2006, encouraging local and regional administrations to make a public commitment to equality.

Henry Cravattte giving a speech during the inauguration of the 7th States General of European Municipalites held in Rome, Italy on 15 September 1964. HAEU, CCRE-821 – Photo: © ANSA

Josef Hofmann (1984-1994, Mayor of Mainz)
Hoffmann’s mandate saw the increased political recognition of local and regional governments, culminating in the 1992 Treaty of Maastricht with the creation of the Committee of the Regions. Acting as a consultative body to the European institutions, the Committee analyses themes affecting local and regional concerns.

Josef Hofmann during a meeting with the European Commission in 1989. HAEU, CCRE-830. Photo: Christian Lambiotte

Pasqual Maragall i Mira (1992-1997, Mayor of Barcelona)
Pasqual Maragall i Mira emphasised the need to create a European citizenship at the level of municipalities and regions. He was also one of the founders of Eurocities, and Vice President for Europe of the International Union of Local Authorities.

Pasqual Maragall with Josef Hofmann during the ECOS Conference held in Prague in the '90s. HAEU, CCRE-846. Photo: Unknown

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1997-2004, former President of France)
In the context of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, and in his capacity as President of the Convention on the future of Europe, Giscard d'Estaing achieved the recognition of the local and regional dimension in the constitution.

Valéry Giscard d´Estaing arriving to a meeting in Rome, Italy on 14 December 2001. HAEU, CCRE-829. Photo: Unknown.

Michael Häupl (2005-2010, Mayor and Governor of Vienna)
Michael Häupl fostered the local struggle against climate change by co-founding the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in 2008. Signatory cities thereby committed themselves to reducing CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030 and increase the use of renewable energy.

Michael Häupl, on the left, and Johannes Hahn, member of the EC in charge of Regional Policy, next to a map of the Danube region at the 3rd Annual Forum of the Danube Strategy in Vienna, 27 June 2014. © European Union, 2014. Source: EC - Audio-visual Service. Photo: Samuel Kubani

Wolfgang Schuster (2010-2013, Mayor of Stuttgart)
Wolfgang Schuster’s mandate brought closer cooperation with the EU institutions. At the Council’s 60th anniversary, Schuster introduced the concept of ‘governing in partnership’.

Wolfgang Schuster, on the left, received by Johannes Hahn, Member of the EC in charge of Regional Policy, during his visit to the EC on 29 March 2011. © European Union, 2011. Source: EC - Audio-visual Service. Photo: Georges Boulougouris

Annemarie Jorritsma (2013-2015, Mayor of Almere)
Annemarie Jorritsma was CEMR’s first woman president. Heractivity focused on expanding the collaboration with the Committee of the Regions, and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

Iñigo Joaquín de la Serna Hernáiz (2016, Mayor of Santander)
Iñigo Joaquín de la Serna Hernáiz actively promoted technological interoperability to ease information-sharing and projects in the field of smart cities.

On the left, Íñigo de la Serna Hernáiz, Mayor of Santander, finalist of the Access City Award 2012, and Viviane Reding. © European Union, 2011. Source: EC - Audio-visual Service. Photo: Thierry Charlier

Stefano Bonaccini (since 2016, President of Emilia-Romagna Region)
Stefano Bonaccini has presided over the continued growth of CEMR and the broadening of its activities. With a new strategy for 2020-2030, CEMR aims to be a driver for change organised around four ‘Ps’: People, Partnership, Places, Planet.

Speech by Stefano Bonaccini on the occasion of the handover of a joint manifesto on the future of cohesion policy by the presidents or regions' representatives from 4 member states on 25 January 2018. © European Union, 2018. Source: EC – Audio- visual Service. Photo: Lukasz Kobus