He is a history graduate, but political life has made him an expert in French geography, seen through transport infrastructure. David Valence, deputy (related to the Renaissance) of the Vosges, was for five years (2017-2022) vice-president of the Grand-Est region responsible for mobility. He widened his scope of action at the national level when Emmanuel Macron appointed him, in January 2021, to the presidency of the Infrastructure Orientation Council (COI).
This body, which includes parliamentarians and elected officials from all sides, has the role “to give credibility to investments in transport infrastructure”, he explains. It is above all a question of reaching a consensus on the priorities, in an area where the needs amount to billions of euros.
This is the whole purpose of the report that the elected must submit, Friday, February 24, to Elisabeth Borne. It was ordered from him in October 2022 by the Minister Delegate for Transport, Clément Beaune. “The fact that the Prime Minister asked that it be handed over to Matignon testifies to the importance she attaches to the subject, which is essential for planning the ecological transition”, assures Mr. Valence. Transport still accounts for 30% of CO emissions in France2.
“Do not lose what already exists”
To get the twenty members who make up the COI to all sign this report entitled “Investing more and better in mobility to make their transition a success”, the deputy had to take liberties with the mission letter signed by Clément Beaune. This recommended that the Board plan projects for the 2023-2028 period, focusing “to respect the investment amount listed in the LOM law [loi d’orientation des mobilités de 2019] ».
The COI quickly ruled out this minimalist option and unanimously adopted another scenario, said to “ecological planning”, which provides for the State and local authorities to invest an additional thirty billion euros. Right-wing elected officials even insisted on adding a third scenario mobilizing even more funds to invest in the motorway network.
On this condition, both the president of the National Federation of Public Works, Bruno Cavagné, and the representative of the NGO France Nature Environnement, Geneviève Laferrère, Senator Philippe Tabarot (Les Républicains, close to Valérie Pécresse), MP Lisa Belluco (Europe Ecologie-Les Verts) or the ecologist MEP Karima Delli were able to validate the text. Several members, such as François Durovray, president of the Essonne departmental council, had refused to submit a report with a constant budget. “He was far from the only one”recognizes Mr. Valence.
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