Bruno Marchand defends international missions

GENEVA | Despite the “huge” criticism from part of the population, Bruno Marchand defended the relevance of the missions he carries out abroad by ensuring that the City systematically benefits from them in the short, medium or long term.

• Also read: “Zero worries” for the Quebec tramway, assures Mayor Bruno Marchand

Tuesday morning, in Geneva, the mayor of Quebec made a point of speaking in front of a few dozen of his counterparts during the Mayors’ Forum, an event organized by the UN.

“It’s a real challenge to be able to increase relationships between cities and with large organizations. The challenge we have in Quebec is, among other things, linked to participation in these missions which are enormously criticized in public opinion and are a huge source of hatred towards municipal elected officials, in particular the mayor that I am,” a- he said during a workshop.

According to him, “this sometimes forces us to limit actions of this type [les missions] although we find them very relevant. There is something that can help us, in a common way. It’s about always being able to demonstrate concrete results, which is not always easy.

The loud applause from Mayor Marchand’s colleagues following his short speech suggests that this type of criticism is not the prerogative of Quebec.

Ideas from elsewhere

Guest by The Journal To clarify his thoughts, Mayor Marchand insisted on the importance of going abroad to build relationships and to try to export innovative ideas.

The latter gave the example of Zurich, in Switzerland, where it is possible to reserve public electric scooters for 10 minutes to be sure to find one available at the time of rental. As soon as he returns to Quebec, the mayor will check if it is possible and relevant to put this type of innovation in place for the àVélo service, he said.

Same reasoning for incentive parking which is increasing in Split, Croatia. Is it possible to have more in areas close to central neighborhoods in Quebec while guaranteeing efficient bus shuttles? Again, the question will be asked of the various municipal services concerned, added the mayor.

Distrust

According to Mr. Marchand, the distrust of a part of the population towards missions abroad is partly explained by the “abuses” of certain politicians which are rightly highlighted by the media. But Bruno Marchand said these “horror stories” are exceptions.

“It’s easy to think that a mayor travels because he says to himself: ‘Hey, on the arm of the City, I’m going to treat myself to a nice international stay, then I’m going to enjoy life.’ If it was to enjoy life, I wouldn’t do these missions because I come back beaten, because I gave myself to working 12-15 hours a day. If it was for my own pleasure, I wouldn’t do it. But it’s good for the City,” he said while swearing that he systematically wants to limit his spending.

Suitcases that gain weight

As the City of Quebec chairs the OWHC (Organization of World Heritage Cities), Mayor Marchand received many gifts from his counterparts last week during the congress in Cordoba, Spain.

In principle, we can agree that this is a nice touch. The problem is that instead of offering key rings for example, several OWHC mayors have instead chosen heavy and bulky books as gifts.

The mayor’s entourage, made up of his press secretary and a municipal official, must therefore deal with suitcases that are growing visibly. As this team travels mainly by train in Europe, the situation becomes more and more complicated as the days go by. This is without mentioning the final test on Friday October 4 when the scales at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport could well indicate that the 23 kg requirement has been largely shattered.

The Journalanxious not to be the origin of a new diplomatic crisis on an already very unstable planet, did not dare suggest to the mayor’s team to abandon some of the gifts en route.