Transport, employment, agriculture… Despite “considerable uncertainty”, Gard elected officials in the Region defend their record

Les élus gardois au conseil régional et les bénévoles de la Banque alimentaire.

Les conseillers régionaux Katy Guyot, Jean-Luc Gibelin et Jalil Benabdillah ont présenté le bilan de leurs actions en 2024 dans les locaux de la Banque alimentaire de Gard. 

It is no coincidence that the elected officials of the Occitanie region presented their annual report in the premises of the Gard Food Bank at the Gare market in Nîmes. Joseph Pronesti, the president, remembers those difficult weeks at the heart of the lockdown, when he only had cans left and the Region arrived with 150 tons of fresh produce.

On the sidelines of the elected officials' report, Joseph Pronesti took the opportunity to take stock of the health of the association, whose trucks were burned last November. “An incredible chain of solidarity was set up. In a few days, we knew that we would be able to order a new fleet”, he explains, while the redevelopment of the Gare market forced the Food Bank to move. “SPL Agate is buying our premises at the price of the estates, we are buying half of Promocash, i.e. 1,400 square metres out of a total of 3,600 square metres for a total cost of €2.2 million”, he explains. With the loans and subsidies, €600,000 remains to be financed. The Food Bank is now waiting for a helping hand from Nîmes Métropole. “We are fighters, we will not give up”.

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Support for the Food Bank

“The Region has always been there, we voted €300,000 in loan guarantees and I am announcing emergency aid of €50,000 to acquire mobile equipment”, explains regional councillor Katy Guyot, mentioning future investment aid, “but we hope that the Agglo will be able to do the same and take its responsibilities.”

The elected officials then discussed the issues that the Region is committed to, despite the uncertainty related to the absence of a national budget. “The Region will vote on its budget with a loss of resources of approximately €187 million as a result of government measures”, Jean-Luc Gibelin, vice-president in charge of mobility, coldly denounces, lamenting “the considerable uncertainty”.

He nevertheless highlights the progress of certain issues, particularly for the construction of health centers. Sixteen projects have been supported in the Gard, four have opened their doors in Saint-Gilles, Le Vigan, Saint-Hilaire de Brethmas and Lussan. Work is also being carried out to attract young doctors to the region, by retaining students. “But we will not be able to replace the State”, he said.

A pact for hiring

Another major issue, the economy and employment, at the heart of the Region's skills. Jalil Benabdillah recalls the initiatives, in particular the creation of a regional sovereign fund with €400 million, the special efforts for reindustrialization in the Gard, the career fairs… The Region has set up a Pact for hiring, with 55 partners so that “anyone who finds a job is not prevented for other reasons such as housing, mobility or childcare”. Thus, 12,000 job seekers and 15,000 businesses have been supported.

The Region also supports agriculture. “Since 2016, the budget has doubled”, recalls Katy Guyot. Among the tools developed, an agricultural land company allows the acquisition of land in order to support the installation of young farmers. Specific aid has also been released to help viticulture, which represents 37% of agriculture in Occitanie.

Finally, the Region is on the offensive on the transport issue, committing to supporting the reopening of the railway line on the right bank of the Rhône and the Alès Bessèges line and for the creation of an additional round trip Nîmes Alès and Nîmes Vauvert.