Crisis Management in Germany and France – Comparative Overview and Status of Cross-Border Cooperation in the Upper Rhine Region

Cross-border crisis management is becoming increasingly relevant in a time of growing transnational crises – from natural disasters and pandemics to security threats. In the Upper Rhine region in particular, where German and French municipalities exist in close proximity, the different national administrative and political systems pose a particular challenge for crisis management. This working paper presents a comparative study of the institutional structures and processes of crisis management in Germany and France, with a focus on the municipal level. The aim is to use the study as a basis for deriving recommendations for action to optimise cross-border crisis management at the municipal level in the Upper Rhine region. The focus is on analysing the differences between Germany's federal system, which is strongly based on laws and subsidiarity and offers a high degree of local autonomy, and the centralised, highly hierarchical and decree-based French model. Based on this comparison, the mechanisms, legal foundations and institutional arrangements for cross-border cooperation in the Upper Rhine region are presented. Particular attention is paid to the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted deficits in the coordination, dissemination of information and legitimisation of national measures. The study shows that, despite some established structures, there are still far-reaching obstacles resulting from legal ambiguities, cultural differences and a lack of institutional flexibility. Finally, recommendations for action are formulated, aimed at strengthening the legal framework, establishing cross-border crisis teams and institutionalising ex-post evaluation of crisis measures. The working paper thus contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexity of cross-border crisis management in European border regions.