(11 September 2021)- Yves Champetier and Paul Soto (AEIDL) were interviewed by the Association of Rural Initiatives of Catalonia (ARCA) on the occasion of LEADER’s 30th anniversary. The two experts discussed how LEADER must change to face the challenges of today.
According to Yves Champetier, LEADER needs to rejuvenate and reinvent itself. It must be a “hub”, a “fab-lab”, a “Bauhaus”, a place of daily democracy where all those who act, imagine and build the future meet, cooperate, and create synergies. It should be for those that are experimenting with new activities, services, ways of living, creating and working in rural areas.
For Paul Soto, the administrative culture of LEADER does not fit with the flexibility needed to address the problems and challenges of today. That is why he advocates for a significant simplification, such as simplified costs or simpler management regulation: “a regulation made for the citizens”.
LEADER should act as a citizens’ platform that connects the public, private and civil sectors to provide tools, knowledge, dynamism and technical support projects working on the energy, urban-rural or digital transitions.