Empirical findings from case studies on regional autonomy and spatial justice in Europe

Report (2020)

Développement territorial + autonomie locale = (in)justice spatiale ?

in Justice Spatiale - Spatial Justice (2019), 13

National report: France

Report (2019)

In France, spatial injustice is usually described as disadvantages related to place that result in the feeling that the local population is left out or unable to shape the locality’s own future. It ... [more ▼]

In France, spatial injustice is usually described as disadvantages related to place that result in the feeling that the local population is left out or unable to shape the locality’s own future. It contrasts with a strong tradition of “égalité des territoires” (“equality between territories”) which shapes the spatial planning policy. Two contrasted case studies have been selected for the RELOCAL project in France. Located in peri-urban post-industrial contexts, they both need to reopen the path towards local development. The EPA Alzette-Belval (Lorraine) is a top-down initiative established through an on-site technical implementation, while Euralens is a more bottom-up, autonomous association in the Nord mining basin. Spatial injustices existed in both localities, and there were a number of similarities (e.g. access to and financing of public services, fair and equitable access to decision-making processes). The national context goes beyond the individual findings for each case, to reflect on their significance in a national context shaped by successive waves of decentralisation and the recent launch of nationally led thematic initiatives to support local development. We found that Euralens and the EPA Alzette-Belval make a direct contribution to greater spatial justice. The EPA Alzette-Belval specifically targets distributive justice, while Euralens targets procedural justice more. These two actions demonstrate that despite decentralisation, the state remains crucial in France. Like the place-based approach promoted at the EU level, France encourages localities to build up their own initiatives to foster local development, while the state provides timely support through dedicated schemes (e.g. ERBM, ÉcoCité, EPA à la française). In this context, regions facing steep challenges (e.g. economic regeneration following the fall of single industries, asymmetric border exchanges and interdependencies) are overwhelmed by the task of effectively mobilising the national tools at their disposal and initiating local development on their own. Nationally led instruments therefore need to be adapted to local geographic, political and social specificities in order to be capable of deploying their full impact. It therefore seems important – especially in a unitary country like France – to keep monitoring spatial disparities and social inequalities, have dedicated channels for territories to bring forward their respective problems, and as a consequence to keep redistributive measures that can be mobilised to address the deepest territorial divides. Too often, potential beneficiaries of EU funding do not apply (i.e. due to the administrative burden, lack of information). Access to EU regional policy should be more open, simpler and based more on impact (including qualitative and quantitative indicators). Open European satellites with dedicated agents in territories facing structural challenges could contribute by enabling these regions and giving “Brussels” a more human and less bureaucratic face. [less ▲]

JSSJ rencontre RELOCAL – Mobilisations, sens et usages du concept de justice spatiale dans un projet de recherche européen

in Justice Spatiale - Spatial Justice (2019), 13(Espace public), 1-13

Penser la relation à l’autre. L’élargissement de l’Union européenne vu depuis la frontière Serbie/Croatie

in Dubet, François (Ed.) Politiques des frontières (2018)

Gymnastique épistémologique, critique et réflexive : la construction d’une recherche en « ex-Yougoslavie » face à la colonialité du savoir

in Nouvelles Perspectives en Sciences Sociales (2017), 13(1), 57-89

This article is a story narrating the evolution of my own reflections during my Ph.D.: “Planning at the Borders of European Peripheries: The Serbia/Croatia Borderland and the EU Cooperation and ... [more ▼]

This article is a story narrating the evolution of my own reflections during my Ph.D.: “Planning at the Borders of European Peripheries: The Serbia/Croatia Borderland and the EU Cooperation and Reconciliation Injunctions” (Ph.D. thesis, Tours, Université François-Rabelais, 2016). Using auto-ethnographic methods, this article demonstrates a conviction, the necessity to engage with a reflexive and critical approach, before, during, and after the production of research. I show first how I built the thesis’ epistemological approach, by progressively deconstructing classical theoretical frameworks (nationalist, postsocialist, post-Yugoslav). I expose and discuss then the outcomes of such a reflexivity, in particular how I gradually became conscious of the coloniality of (my) knowledge. These mental gymnastics allowed me to occasionally overcome – but regularly report on – the limits of my research, but also to recognize the unsurpassibility of certain aspects of my work connected to the situation in which I stated and conducted it. Reflecting on epistemological reflexivity contributes to clarifying scientific (in)validity of research, and better situates researcher’s arguments, their position and positionality. [less ▲]

Discussing Territorial Cohesion ideal and achievemnents: Lessons from the Western Balkans borders

Scientific Conference (2017, July 13)

Espaces publics et mémoires à la frontière Serbie/Croatie : une illustration des tensions entre expressions nationalistes, oubli sélectif et banalité du quotidien

Scientific Conference (2016, December 08)

Avant-propos. Habiter l’espace post-yougoslave

in Revue d'Etudes Comparatives Est-Ouest (2015), 46(4), 7-34

For a critical approach of the governance of core-periphery relations in Central and Eastern Europe

Scientific Conference (2015, May 27)