Politics (Spatial planning, culture, mobility,…)

Saarland sees itself as a bridge between Germany and France. Due to historical developments, there is already a great deal of expertise on France, which is to be expanded further.

The France Strategy is designed as a comprehensive and civil society project. In close cooperation with Lorraine, it pursues an internal strategy (strengthening French competence within the country) and an external and communication strategy (marketing Saarland’s French competence externally, i.e. to France and Germany). Even if French competence is the focal point, the France Strategy is essentially a multilingual strategy.

The France Strategy has so far been complemented by two “Feuille de route” (roadmaps), which list milestones.

The guiding principles create the following fields of action:

• 1. Strengthen competitiveness:
  • 1.1 Develop metropolitan regions;
  • 1.2 Strengthen cooperation and networking of spaces;
  • 1.3 Support spaces with special structural needs;
  • 1.4 Secure infrastructure connectivity and mobility
• 2. Secure public services:
  • 2.1 Apply central-location systems consistently;
  • 2.2 Expand cooperation;
  • 2.3 Secure supply to sparsely populated rural areas;
  • 2.4 Secure accessibility
• 3. Strengthen and sustainably develop land use:
  • 3.1 Minimize spatial conflicts of use;
  • 3.2. Create large-scale linked open spaces;
  • 3.3 Design cultural landscapes;
  • 3.4 Reduce new land use;
  • 3.5 Sustainably manage the use of mineral resources and other underground uses;
  • 3.6 Sustainably use coastal and marine areas
• 4. Shape climate change and energy system transformation:
  • 4.1 Adapt spatial structures to climate change;
  • 4.2 Manage the expansion of renewable energies and grids