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Franz Schausberger Opened the 8Th Confe- Rence of European Regions and Cities on Sunday, 23 September 2012, in Grafenegg

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Franz Schausberger Opened the 8Th Confe- Rence of European Regions and Cities on Sunday, 23 September 2012, in Grafenegg 26 institut der regionen europas oct 2012 institute of the regions of europe newsregion IRE discusses „Overcoming Regional Disparities“ Anton Rop Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Former Prime Minister of Slovenia SDA, SDS win most mayoral seats in Bosnia The objective ‘Overcoming Regional Disparities’ is in fact closely related to the oldest operational priority Herzegovina‘s Local Elections of the European Investment Bank, which is to promo- te and support a balanced development of the Eu- ropean Union, including its less-developed regions. The preliminary results in Bosnia’s It is also especially pertinent to the countries under local elections show that the ma- my responsibility at EIB, including several of the so- jority of mayoral seats went to the called New Member States (including Croatia), some Party of Democratic Action, SDA, of which have felt the effects of the economic crisis followed by the Serb Democratic EIB: to promote particularly strongly. Party, SDS. Europe is diverse. Europe is multi-layered. The chal- and support lenges it faces might be global, but the answers often According to the preliminary results originate at the local level. After all, this is what the concerning mayoral seats in 125 munici- a balanced EU principle of subsidiarity is based on - the idea that palities, published by the Bosnian Cen- decisions must be taken as closely as possible to the tral Electoral Commission, CIK, the Party development of citizen. of Democratic Action, SDA, won the lar- Nearly one in four EU citizens lives in a region where gest number of seats, 34, mainly in the the EU GDP is still less than 75% of the EU average; 17 regions Federation entity. The SDA is a Bosniak have an unemployment rate of double the EU average national political party founded 1990 by or higher - and this may actually get worse. Alija Izetbegović. The ubiquitous challenge faced by most European governments at this moment is to reconcile the consolidation of public budgets (=fiscal austerity) with the The SDA was closely followed by the need to stimulate economic growth through investment. Serb Democratic Party (SDS), a national The economic turmoil of the past few years has highlighted the key role of public conservative party, which now has 27 financing institutions such as the European Investment Bank in providing credit municipal mayors, a jump from the pre- for vital investments. The continued availability of long-term finance through pu- vious 13. blic policy lenders has been an important component of Europe’s crisis response. In Republika Srpska, the SDS got more Investment plays a central role in the transition from a crisis to a growth path, votes than the ruling Alliance of In- and in staying on that growth path. Long-term investment finance is what the dependent Social Democrats (SNSD) EIB does best. Over the years it has grown into the biggest multinational bank which from 41 mayors it had for the past of its kind. four years, dropped to 15. The EIB’s response to the crisis started very early on, in September 2008, as part Republika Srpska President Milorad of the European Economic Recovery Plan. Last year, the Bank signed financing Dodik’s Alliance of Independent Social contracts for 61 billion euro. EU Heads of States and government shareholders Democrats suffered an electoral disaster decided to increase our capital by 10 billion euro by the end of this year. in the local elections in Republika Srps- For clients, our conditions – interest rates, but also the maturity of the loans – are ka – a warning of what it may face in the generally more favourable than what they would obtain elsewhere. 2014 general election. Against the 10-billion cash contribution to our capital – a buffer if you will - we The Social Democrats, led by Bosniak should be able to lend an additional 60 billion euro over the coming three to four Zlatko Lagumdzija, said they have won years (from 2013-2015), on top of the average 48 billion a year envisaged by our three more mayoral seats than they had current business plan. before, so now they have 11 mayors but The 60 billion of additional lending will focus squarely on Europe and on sectors they lost two big municipalities, Bihac with a direct impact on long-term growth potential where the EIB has significant and Novi Grad Sarajevo – which is the experience and can ‘hit the ground running,’ so to say. largest municipality in Bosnia. “Yes, we The European SME sector is one of them. Between 2002 and 2010, 85% of total did lose some mayors in large municipa- employment growth in the EU was attributable to SMEs. lities, but we won some other and sho- It is also important to support sustainable energy and to increase investment in wed that we are the party for the whole research, development, innovation and education – the main drivers of produc- country,” Lagumdzija said. tivity, competitiveness, long-term economic growth and employment in advan- ced economies. The Croat Democratic Union, HDZBiH, A decisive push is underway to get the European Union back on a path of sustai- won 14 seats, mostly in the Western Her- nable growth. I believe that the continuous development of regions and cities zegovina, and its sister party the HDZ must remain one of the building blocks of our economic strategy, one that will 1990 got three mayors. ultimately determine our success. The Alliance for a Better Future of Bos- (Excerpt from the speech at the 8th Conference of European Regions and Cities in Grafenegg) nia, SBBBiH, a bosniak conservative par- ty led by Fahrudin Radoncic, won two IMPRESSUM Media owner and publisher: Institute of the Regions of Europe, A-5020 Salzburg, Franz- mayors, both of them were already ma- Josef-Kai 1, Tel.: +43/662/843288-5010, Fax: +43/662/843288-5050, www.institut-ire.eu, [email protected] • Editor and layout: printmedia, 5020 Salzburg • Photos: ire, Neumayr, Wikipedia, Friess, Petrisch, Schaus- yors in their municipalities who had left berger, Fritz, Titelseite: Karte: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/index_en.cfm, Source: Eurostat • Print: Druck & Digitale Medien, Salzburg-Hallwang the SDA and joined the SBB during their Insofar as this publication features only personal designations in their gender-specific forms, they relate – mandates. “We are now the third party insofar as this can be considered with regard to the content – to men and women on equal terms. 2 newsregion 26 / oct12 SDA, SDS win most mayoral seats in Bosnia Czech Coalition Parties take severe Herzegovina‘s Local Elections beating in Regional Elections Elections to regional councils in percent of votes. The party won in only the Czech Republic were held in 13 one of the Czech Republic‘s regions - regions (except Prague) on 12–13 the Plzen Region. Ironically, the party‘s October 2012. Czech Social De- electoral list in the region was headed by former minister Jiri Pospisil, dis- mocratic Party won in 9 regions, missed four months ago by PM Petr though it suffered a considerable Necas (ODS) for incompetence. TOP loss of votes. The Communist Party 09 received 6.6 percent of votes.. of Bohemia and Moravia won the A growing part of population see- election in two regions, increased med to be leaning to the Communist the number of votes received and Party of Bohemia and Moravia. These was placed second overall. The Ci- un-reformed Czech communists, who vic Democratic Party is widely seen refuse to clearly distance themselves as defeated as it finished third ove- from their Stalinist past, have become rall and won only in Plzeň region. established everywhere as a serious The regional grouping Mayors for political force. The Communist Party the Liberec Region surprisingly gained 20.4 percent of votes, which is won the election in their region . 0.7 percentage point less from the re- cord 21.1 percent the party had recei- ved in the 2000 regional elections. The The Czech Social Democratic Party Communist Party won in the Usti nad won 2008 election in all regions. Even Labem and Karlovy Vary regions. In to- Sarajevo though the opposition CSSD has won tal, the two left-wing parties gained 44 the regional elections with a total 23.6 percent of votes - 7 percentage points of votes, its triumph has a bitter taste. less than in the last regional elections. in the Federation and we have a reason No party has ever won regional elec- In spite of this, the two parties mana- to celebrate,” Radoncic said. tions in the Czech Republic with such ged to maintain their dominance in There were over three million registered a low percentage of votes. the left spectrum of Czech politics. voters in Bosnia and the turnout was Prime Minister Petr Nečas’ austerity The elections‘ secret winner are the around 56 per cent, one per cent up on policy is unpopular, while many cor- Christian Democrats, who received 9.9 the last local elections. Around 54 per ruption investigations, which he him- percent of votes. This is slightly more cent of voters went to the polls in the self encouraged, are threatening his than in the last regional elections Federation entity while in Republika right-wing government’s stability. No which took place before the party suf- Srpska the turnout was slightly higher ruling coalition in the Czech Republic fered an internal split in which a part at 59 per cent. has ever suffered a worse defeat in re- of its members led by Miroslav Ka- gional elections than the Civic Demo- lousek left the party and founded TOP (Source: Elvira M. Jukic BIRN Sarajevo, Bal- cratic Party (ODS) and TOP 09 did.
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