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A Strong Part of Europe Salzburg - active in the Europe of the regions |
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| In a united Europe the regions have clearly assumed increasing importance, particularly over the past few years. Nation-states had to cede a number of competencies "to Brussels". Smaller regional units create identity more intensively than previously. Local and regional politics take as their direct starting-point the interests of the citizens. This was not a new development for Salzburg when Austria became a member of the European Union in January 1995. The strong economic orientation towards European markets, a dense network of inter-regional contacts, and Salzburg’s previous role as an international meeting-place in the heart of Europe presented the best prerequisites for a continuation of the active participation in shaping the "Europe of the regions". With more than 520,000 people living in the city and land, Salzburg represents only a small proportion of the citizens of the European Union. Salzburgers do not live in such densely populated areas as the average EU-citizen. Another fact is that Salzburg is one of the lands of the European Union whose population will clearly increase even in future. Nevertheless the land of Salzburg, covering an area of 7,154.5 square kilometres is only a small region on the large map of the European Union. However, this small region is situated in the middle of the new Europe, which is gradually including the Central and Eastern European states in the project of a united Europe. It was precisely this central location in Europe that gave rise in the land of Salzburg to debates on membership of the European Union. The presidents of Salzburg always played an active role in these discussions. More than any other land Salzburg is dependent on its economic contacts with the countries of the EU. The proportion of exports from Salzburg to EU-countries remained more or less constant both before and after accession to the EU. At the time of the referendum in June 1994 two out of three Salzburgers agreed with the opinion of the Salzburg Regional Government and voted in favour of Austria joining the European Union. |  |
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