From Emmerich to Wachtendonk: The 16 mayors of the Kleve district are flying the flag for Europe! In a joint campaign, the heads of the towns and municipalities not only want to express their solidarity with Europe, but also call on people to vote in the European elections on June 9. From June 6 to 9, around 350 million EU citizens entitled to vote will be called upon to elect the tenth European Parliament. In Germany alone, 66 million citizens will be able to cast their vote on June 9.
With their joint initiative, the mayor and the mayors of the 16 district municipalities want to send a clear message that it is particularly important to stand up for European values and goals in the current times: "Whether in securing peace, climate change or the digital transformation: the EU plays a key role in overcoming global challenges. Especially in times when European peace is under threat and populist tendencies are on the rise, it is therefore so important that citizens exercise their democratic rights and stand up for a united and strong Europe," says Rainer Weber, Mayor of the municipality of Uedem, as spokesperson for the Conference of Mayors.
At the same time, the importance of the EU for rural areas should not be underestimated. With the help of many different EU funding programs, infrastructure projects are financed, jobs are created and the regional economy is strengthened. "Thanks to EU funding, countless projects and measures have been implemented in the Kleve district in recent years, which have improved the quality of life for citizens in our towns and municipalities. At the same time, the EU promotes cross-border cooperation and integration, which benefits us as a border region and, above all, our local economy in a special way," the mayor and mayors make clear in their statement.
To launch their campaign, the mayor and mayors had already agreed last week to fly the European flag in the town halls to mark Europe Day on May 9.