The Métropole Européenne de Lille - "European Metropolis of Lille" is the métropole, an intercommunal structure, composed by a network of big cities whose major city is the city of Lille. It is located in the Nord department, in the Hauts-de-Franceregion, northern France – bordering both the Flemish and Walloon regions of Belgium. It was created in January 2015, replacing the previous Communauté urbaine de Lille, and covers that part of the Lille metropolitan area that lies in France. Its population was 1,154,103 in 2014, of which 238,381 in Lille proper. The annual budget of the métropole is €1,865 billion.
History
The urban community was founded in 1967, its first president was Augustin Laurent. Then, in 1971, Arthur Notebart, Deputy Mayor of Lomme succeeded him until the election of Pierre Mauroy in 1989. After the March 2008 municipal elections, each city council sent delegates to the urban community, a total of 170 voting members. In April 2008, a new president was be elected on a majority vote, defined at 816 votes. It will be a cause for intense lobbying throughout the 85 cities and villages. One key issue will be on the investment priorities for the 2008/2014 period, namely transport, housing and the environment. Newly re-elected mayor of Lille, socialist Martine Aubry, will try to impose a new €800 million stadium in the eastern part of the community, which is opposed by three major mayors of her own party, who consider the project as misplaced and too expensive. On January 1, 2015, the métropole replaced the urban community in accordance with a law of January 2014. On January 1, 2017, the number of municipalities of the métropole increased from 85 to 90. It was expanded with the 5 communes of the former Communauté de communes de la Haute Deûle on 14 March 2020.
The metropolitan community is responsible for the co-ordination of Transpole, the private-sector company that operates a public transport network throughout the métropole. The network comprises buses, trams and a driverless metro system, all of which are operated under the Transpole name. The Lille Metro is a VAL system that opened on 16 May 1983, becoming the first automatic metro line in the world. The metro system has two lines, with a total length of 45 km and 60 stations. The tram system consists of two interurban tram lines, connecting central Lille to the nearby communities of Roubaix and Tourcoing, and has 45 stops. 68 urban bus routes cover the metropolis, 8 of which reach into Belgium.
Cross-border issues
The metropolitan community encompasses only the French part of the metropolitan area of Lille. The other part of the metropolitan area is on Belgian territory and outside of the scope of the metropolis. The Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai is a transnational structure founded on 28 January 2008 to overcome this problem. This community crosses borders and connect Lille with the nearby Belgian cities Kortrijk, Mouscron and Tournai.
Communes
Métropole Européenne de Lille consists of the following 95 communes:
