3 questions for Noël Bourgeois, President of the Ardennes Departmental Council
What will you keep from the year 2024?
Bourgeois Christmas : « Despite an extremely constrained and difficult budgetary context, this year 2024 ended with the inauguration of the second departmental vegetable factory in Attigny, ultimately serving 10 colleges in the South Ardennes. 2024 also saw the end of our voluntary participation of €24 million in the urban renovation program in 7 Ardennes districts (for the benefit of municipalities and social landlords), as well as completely new digital equipment in all Ardennes colleges for 7 .4 million €. These are significant successes for the territory and its inhabitants. »
What are the objectives for 2025?
N.B. : « The budget for 2025 voted on December 13 was constructed in particularly difficult conditions, and in a national legislative context that is evolving to say the least, since France still does not have a finance law for 2025! The Department, for its part, has maintained all its voluntary actions and the level of social benefits granted to residents most in difficulty. 2025 will thus see the implementation of investment works worth €37 million on our roads, colleges and buildings, as well as the continuation of our voluntary action towards EHPADs, but also the maintenance at a constant level of our aid towards education, sport, culture and the associative world.
-As these examples demonstrate, our priority is given to the services provided daily to the Ardennes, who also benefit at every age of life from our solidarity policies, for a total of €226 million. Even if our past efforts have not always been understood or easy to accept, the chosen path allows us once again this year to stay the course and carry out projects useful to our territory. »
What message do you want to send to the Ardennes?
N.B. : « In an institutional context which will remain very uncertain, whether it concerns the government or the majorities within the National Assembly, I want our Departmental Assembly to send today the message to all the Ardennes of our desire to continue in 2025 all the local policies that we implement every day in their service and in the service of the Ardennes region. »
