Long-standing crisis, sudden crisis: how to cope?

Crises are events that public actors must anticipate, knowing that they are rarely predictable. These are also pivotal moments that invite the reform of institutions or organizations, to organize recovery and strengthen the resilience of territories. François Bayrou, former minister, new French High Commissioner for Planification and local elected official, did us the honour of participating in this meeting to discuss the lessons he learned from the COVID crisis, his vision of “planification” in the 21st century and its own role. Two Local Authority Chief Executives then shared their experience of crisis management by local authorities.

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BEST has adapted to the health context by organizing its 20th meeting via videoconferencing. The quality of the exchanges and the diversity of views and perspectives have once again highlighted the very specific vocation of our network, which invites managers of local and regional authorities to take the time necessary to understand the transformations of our societies.

We discussed the responses to be provided to major crisis situations which, like the Covid 19 epidemic, take on a systemic and lasting nature, or the consequences of other crises, such as the storm Alex, which by their magnitude affect in a considerable way the life of a territory.

Although serious and traumatic, these crises, in particular the health crisis, can constitute opportunities to mobilize transformative energies. It is the vocation of the State, as highlighted by the High Commissioner for Planification François Bayrou, whom I warmly thank for his participation, to facilitate the resilience of the territories and to stimulate a vision for the future. The managers of local and regional authorities have a role to play in contributing to this dynamic post-crisis management.

Pierre Laplane
National Representative of the BEST network

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