Dominik Bems is a new member of CEMR’s Committee for Municipal Development Cooperation
Rheine / Jena. “There is no more important time than now to stand up for Europe. A strong Europe needs municipalities committed to Europe,” says Dominik Bems. The Social Democrat was recently elected to the Committee for Local Development Cooperation by the General Committee of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). He succeeds Dr. Angelika Kordfelder. Previously, the City Council of Rheine had unanimously appointed him as a delegate to the CEMR Assembly of Delegates.
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions is the central network of European municipalities – non-partisan, dialog-oriented and practical. Angelika Kordfelder has been involved at various levels of CEMR for many years and has used her expertise to shape European exchange in municipal development cooperation.
“I am grateful for the trust placed in me by the City Council and the opportunity to represent Rheine at this level,” explains Bems. It is important to him to pass on the information gained through CEMR to the city administration and parliamentary groups in a timely manner and to exchange ideas with local development cooperation actors. For Bems, the European idea is not an abstract idea from Brussels, but a living reality on the ground – in the youth meetings, the town twinning with Borne (Netherlands), Bernburg (Saxony-Anhalt), Leiria (Portugal) and Trakai (Lithuania) or in the diverse support for Ukraine, for example through aid deliveries or fundraising campaigns. The Fairtrade initiatives and the cooperation between schools and civil society groups are also an expression of this European commitment. CEMR thrives on exchange and learning from one another. “This network creates valuable contacts across party lines,” concludes Bems.