Representatives of the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz, and of the French regions of La Gironde, Eure and La Moselle discussed about the problems and the specific needs of the responses given to the crisis in the local level in the framework of the workshop "Local Solutions in Times of Crisis" of the Open Days . Although different regions represent a broad types of needs and characteristics (border regions, rural, open ocean regions, interior, etc), they all are facing the same situation: the economic crisis and its social implications .

If all governments are experiencing difficulties in recent times, local and intermediate authorities are perhaps the most affected in these times of widespread crisis. The resources from taxes and transfers from central governments have been reduced but, anyway,  municipalities and regions are the first to face the needs of citizens, especially those affected more hardly by the crisis. Juan Andres Tovar, President of the Diputación Provincial de Cáceres, highlighted the need for of policies of local revitalization accompanying general measures applied by central government through Plan-e.

Some provinces are facing high unemployment rates, which according to Valentin Cortes, President of the Diputación de Badajoz, implies the need to prioritize responses to these figures in order to avoid creating a social division. The actions planned at provincial and local level in good times, have had to be adapted to the current situation and to match with national measures and the resources received through the structural funds.

As unemployment remains being one of the main focuses of concern for authorities, the consequences of the crisis have been widespread and at times have involved a return to a situation of 2002. In fact, in cases such as the one of La Gironde, they have been accompanied by an increase of population.

But do local authorities can only apply emergency solutions in times of crisis? There is no unambiguous solution, each region must implement their own solutions applicable to their characteristics, but these have to be coordinated and thought out. Gilbert Mitterrand, from the French General Council of the Gironde department, appointed the need for urgent remedial policies address the crisis, with a mention to structural policies. The emergency measures do not imply that these have to be only circumstantial, but that regional governments must implement and review policies of cohesion from a territorial point of view in order to avoid fractures involving multiple regions.

Jean Louis Destans, the General Council of the Eure Department, highlighted the coordinated nature of the actions taken under the National Plan for Relaunching undertaken by the French Government (Relance Plan) between the Government, local authorities and regional and other actors such as chambers of commerce and associations. The measures include the decision not to raise taxes to boost innovation through competitive clusters, measures of direct support to enterprises and social measures.

Regions like Moselle also highlighted the need of supporting businesses as a regional economic engine, as highlighted Philippe Leroy, representative of the General Council of Moselle, acting directly on these companies, and implementing measures of creation of employment and innovation, but also acting on their environment.