In his communication when opening the 29th Session, the President of the Congress Jean-Claude Frécon reiterated his disgust at the terrorist attacks in Ankara and called on all democrats to unswervingly pursue the combat against such barbaric acts. Presenting an overview of Congress activities since the last session in March, President Frécon made special mention of the refugee and migrant crisis. He asked the members of the Congress to take action through their municipalities and regions to manage the crisis and, during Wednesday's debate on the topic, to turn their collective thoughts to how to address it. “As a local elected representative from a small rural municipality in France, I firmly believe in the capacity of small towns and villages in rural areas to contribute to national efforts to integrate these populations”, he said. Stressing that the arrival of these newcomers also provided an opportunity to engage in a broader debate on our spatial planning, he pointed out that “taking in refugees and doing our best to integrate them into our towns and villages would also be a good strategy for breathing fresh life into areas where it is necessary, while offering a proper welcome to people who, often, have gone through hell”.
Communication to the 29th Session
