The twinning of Angers with Austin should trigger a new realism

Credit pictures : Austin city website

Through the twinning with the Us town of Austin voted on March 26th by the Angers municipal council, the city could give birth to a new ambition, and maybe, a new realism. For a long time, the international relations of Angers were directed to cities of the same size and in Europe, or cities of developping countries like Bamako, all concluded almost 30 years ago, the twinning policy of the city could follow a new direction. 

After an agreement with Yantaï, a Chinese port city of 6 millions inhabitants, but distant of almost 9 000 km which apparently, didn't brought, up to now, a lot of results, Angers is turning in 2012 toward Austin, just a litlle bit nearer (8000 km) but closer in cultural terms and bearer of hopes in the economic field. "The Texas is the 9th economic power in the world", points uout Daniel Loiseau, in charge of economy at Angers Loire Métropole. Except culture, till now, no specificic field of economic exchanges have been identified.

Nevertheless, the start of that new cooperation could trigger more ambition of the city, a little bit centred about itself. All the transformations along the way or to come must enlarge new outlets to the local economy in search of growth and jobs. Angers, for a long time worried by solidarity links in which the city felt itself above others, is now turning toward another city of a very different scale.