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WORLD MAYOR 2018
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FRONT PAGE About World Mayor City Mayors Foundation    WORLD MAYOR 2018 • Results 2018 • Project 2018 • Shortlist 2018 • Longlist 2018 • Raison d'être • World Mayor history • World Mayor Prize • Code of Ethics • Criteria • Meet the Press INTERVIEWS WITH • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Zamboanga ESSAYS BY • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Cologne • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Fort Worth • Mayor of Lille • Mayor of Paris • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Saarbrücken • Mayor of Trbovlje • Mayor of Tunis • Mayor of Zamboanga TESTIMONIALS • Mayor of Alphen / Rijn • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Baden-Baden • Mayor of Calais • Mayor of Chemnitz • Mayor of Cologne • Mayor of Cozumel • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Fort Worth • Mayor of Grand Rapids • Mayor of Lille • Mayor of Lodz • Mayor of Molenbeek • Mayor of Narayanganj • Mayor of Oakland • Mayor of Omaha • Mayor of Paris • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Reutlingen • Mayor of Saarbrücken • Mayor of San Juan • Mayor of Trbovlje • Mayor of Tunis • Mayor of Zamboanga • Mayor of Zurich PROFILES OF • Mayor of Ancona • Mayor of Cologne • Mayor of Doncaster • Mayor of Fort Worth • Mayor of Lille • Mayor of Paris • Mayor of Rennes • Mayor of Saarbrücken • Mayor of Trbovlje • Mayor of Tunis • Mayor of Zamboanga WORLD MAYOR 2016 WORLD MAYOR 2014 WORLD MAYOR 2012 WORLD MAYOR 2010 WORLD MAYOR 2008 WORLD MAYOR 2006 WORLD MAYOR 2005 WORLD MAYOR 2004 |
 Charlotte BritzMayor of Saarbrücken, Germany Awarded the 2018 World Mayor Commendation 12 February 2019: Charlotte Britz has been the Mayor of Saarbrücken (population 181,000), the state capital of Saarland on the French-German border, since 2004. During her many years in office, she has made a name for herself as a strong advocate of Franco-German co-operation. The regions on both sides of the border, Saarland and Lorraine, had to re-invent themselves after the decline of the coal and steel industries. National, regional and, in particular, local politicians realised that it made much more sense to work together than being divided by a border. Mayor Britz, who has striven to build a successful and socially integrated cross-border region, is currently President of the Saar-Moselle Region, which she was instrumental in founding in 2010. Saarbrücken and Metz, the capital of the Grand Est region, are roughly halfway between the French commercial centres of Paris and Frankfurt. The Mayor has therefore led a campaign to ensure that the German and French railways run high-speed rail services through Saarbrücken to both cities. Mayor Britz, who is currently the Deputy President of the German Associations of Cities (Deutscher Städtetag), believes cities should be given more powers. Building more affordable housing has been her hallmark domestic policy issue throughout her time as Mayor. With the city’s population rising again, she says that Saarbrücken need to build some 4,000 affordable homes to close the gap between supply and demand. Mayor Britz is socially liberal. She has been a leading advocate of same-sex marriage. Saying that Saarbrücken stands for an open, tolerant city, she has welcomed refugees and offered them safety. The Mayor describes one key initiative, PatchWork City in her essay. “We have explored in 2018 how we can make “living together in diversity” a success story because for all Saarbrücken’s openness and tolerance, a lack of mutual understanding between different communities exists and can cause friction. “We must maintain a permanent dialogue between people of all backgrounds.” Extract from Mayor Britz’s essay: Under the slogan “PatchWorkCity”, we have explored in 2018 how we can make “living together in diversity” a success story, because for all Saarbrücken’s openness and tolerance, even here areas of friction still exist. I have to say I have been impressed by the response. As many as 50 organisations, institutions, associations, creative artists and individuals participated in the campaign and organised 45 events, initiatives and projects. The objective of PatchWorkCity was to promote a discussion among the people of Saarbrücken on how, despite all our differences of ethnic origin, age, gender, physical and mental constitution, way of life and personal interests, we can coexist side by side. There is no definitive answer to this question; it is an ongoing process that we must steadfastly seek to advance. For me, the most important aspect is that we maintain a permanent dialogue. Saarbrücken is synonymous with an open society. I always feel gratified when Saarbrücken’s citizens turn out in large numbers to demonstrate under the slogan “bunt statt braun” (literally: colourful instead of brown) and openly take a stand against nationalism and right-wing extremism. MORE Typical tribute: My family and I lived in Saarbrücken for many years until we returned to Metz two years ago. During our time in the capital city of the Saarland, we’ve experienced first hand how Charlotte Britz transformed Saarbrücken into one of Germany’s most desirable places to live. Its inhabitants enjoy an enviable work-life balance thanks to city’s flourishing economy, cultural and sports offerings and many green spaces. Our two children benefited from excellent schools and speak fluent French and German as well as good English. MORE Further reading ESSAY | TRIBUTES |