Local democracy involvement means genuine community improvement

We spoke to Annie Britès-Favot, a French citizen, retired German teacher, and current candidate for local elections, about why she took the decision to become a politician.

Why did you choose to work in local politics?

I’d become involved in a new political movement (MoDem), and decided that standing for election was an opportunity to put these ideas — that are so close to my heart — into practice. I stood for election in 2008, motivated to solve the issues my community was facing: we were beginning to suffocate in a city where traffic and parking problems were recurrent, social housing was almost non-existent, and the sense of togetherness was completely lacking… Even though my party wasn’t elected, our ideas were implemented by newly elected officials. Citizens now enjoy a large, ultra-modern underground car park, lots more bicycle paths, new buildings accessible to the less privileged, and a local music festival that this year celebrates its tenth anniversary! That is the power of local democracy.

Why do you think that some citizens stay away from real involvemet in local democracy?

Participation in local life can be very time-consuming, especially when acting as a local politician. This is because in order to undertake the role effectively you need spend time building real human relationships with citizens! I believe it takes a well-established professional life and a well-established private life in order to fully open up to the life of the city and devote time to it. This is why it’s not uncommon to take an interest in it when retirement is approaching!

What are the benefits of citizen participation?

It is so satisfying to enjoy the benefits of collaborative work. It is work that so often boosts the quality of local life!

If citizens are interested in their city’s problems and pass information to those who manage it, they are participating in democracy! In sharing ideas, it makes reaching a shared community consensus easier and improves everyone’s quality of life. We need to make use of citizen participation more!