The importance of municipal politics

Mohamed Jamil Derbah (*)
A society without its people has no future, hence the importance of municipal politics
that, being at street level with our neighbors, knows and detects first-hand what are the
real needs and problems they face on a day-to-day basis. No one can question the
institutional dimension of the municipality as a public power in a democratic state. Of
the total composition of national public spending, 11% corresponds to local
corporations. It would be irresponsible not to choose the best managers as public
representatives, avoiding cronyism and finger pointing.
The first task of the municipal government must be to generate trust in the citizen and
prepare a Municipal Action Plan in which there is a record of how the taxes that each
taxpayer pays with so much sacrifice are going to be reinvested in public benefit. Our
citizens do not understand political colors, but they do understand primary needs such
as access to work, infrastructure, education, health, culture, etc. That is why it is
increasingly important to put aside partisan egos and act for the benefit of the society
imposing the capacity for understanding, negotiation and consensus as priority values.
The municipal policy designed in this way would reach the citizen in a direct,
communicative way and far from the megalomaniac claims of the mayor on duty. In
order to achieve the priority objective of improving the quality of life of citizens,
government teams with work experience and academic training must be formed,
recruiting the best.
Currently, the top-down hierarchical structures of political parties are far from realizing
the reality they suffer and the solutions our citizens demand. The instructions to the
higher hierarchical bodies should emanate from the local entities, providing solutions
tailored to the real needs, and work as a gear in a bidirectional direction.
The citizens, the affiliates and those who are not, expect us to solve the real problems,
and believe me when I tell you that we are going to dedicate ourselves to that end, all
the aroneros deserve it, and we will demonstrate what is necessary for the moderate
political center and dialogue in an environment in which the extremes try to take control
or, rather, the municipal lack of control.
As Alexis de Tocqueville said, “it is in the municipality where the strength of free
peoples resides.