The region sits astride three water basins (Seine,Meuse andRhine), spanning an area of 57,433 km2 (22,175 sq mi), the fifth largest in France; it includes two mountain ranges (Vosges andArdennes). It shares borders withBelgium,Luxembourg,Germany andSwitzerland. As of 2021, it had a population of 5,561,287 inhabitants. Theprefecture and largest city isStrasbourg.
The East of France has a rich and diverse culture, being situated at a crossroads between theGallic-Latin andGermanic worlds. This history is reflected in the variety of languages spoken there (Alsatian,Champenois,Lorrain andLorraine Franconian). Most of today's Grand Est region was considered "Eastern" as early as the 8th century, when it constituted the southern part of theFrancian territory ofAustrasia. The city ofReims (in Champagne), where Frankish kingClovis I had been baptized in 496 AD, would later play a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. TheChampagne fairs played a significant role in the economy ofmedieval Europe as well. Alsace and Lorraine thrived in the sphere of influence of theHoly Roman Empire for most of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and subject to competing claims by France and Germany over the centuries.
The region has distinctive traditions such as the celebration ofSaint Nicholas Day,Christmas markets, or traditions involving theEaster hare in Alsace and Lorraine. Alsace-Moselle are furthermore subject tolocal law for historical reasons. With a long industrial history and strong agriculture and tourism (arts, gastronomy, sightseeing), the East of France is one of the top economic producing regions in the country.
The provisional name of the region was Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine, formed by combining the names of the three former regions—Alsace,Champagne-Ardenne andLorraine—in alphabetical order withhyphens. The formula for the provisional name of the region was established by the territorial reform law and applied to all but one of the provisional names for new regions.[7] The ACAL regional council, which was elected in December 2015, was given the task of choosing a name for the region and submitting it to theConseil d'État—France's highest authority foradministrative law—by 1 July 2016 for approval.[7][9] The provisional name of the region was retired on 30 September 2016, when the new name of the region,Grand Est, took effect.[8]
In Alsace and in Lorraine, the new region has frequently been called ALCA, for Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne-Ardennes, on the internet.[10]
Like the nameRégion Hauts-de-France (and, until 2015, the nameRégion Centre), the nameRégion Grand Est contains no reference whatsoever to the area's history or identity, but merely describes its geographical location within metropolitan France.
In a poll conducted in November 2014 byFrance 3 in Champagne-Ardenne,Grand Est (29.16%) andAustrasie (22.65%) were the top two names among 25 candidates and 4,701 votes.[11] Grand Est also topped a poll the following month conducted byL'Est Républicain, receiving 42% of 3,324 votes.[12]
The names which received a moderate amount of discussion were:
Grand Est français [fr], a term used to refer to the northeast quarter ofMetropolitan France, although this term refers to a geographic region larger than just ACAL. The term has been commonly used and topped the polls mentioned above.
The region is bordered on the east by theRhine, which forms about half of the border with Germany. Other major rivers which flow through the region include theMeuse,Moselle,Marne, andSaône.
Protesters of theAlsace independence movement holding a banner saying "No to merger" (Non a la fusion), 2014 in Strasbourg.
Grand Est is the result ofterritorial reform legislation passed in 2014 by the French Parliament to reduce the number of regions in Metropolitan France—the part of France in continental Europe—from 22 to 13.[17] Grand Est is the merger of three regions:Alsace,Champagne-Ardenne, andLorraine.
The merger has been, and still is, strongly opposed by some groups in Alsace, and a large majority of Alsatians.[18][19] The territorial reform law allows new regions to choose the seat of the regional councils, but specifically made Strasbourg the seat of the Grand Est regional council—a move to appease the region's politicians.[20]
Inaugural session of the new Regional council on 4 January 2016The current headquarters of theAlsace Regional Council, which serves as the headquarters of Grand Est's regional council
The regional council has limited administrative authority, mostly concerning the promotion of the region's economy and financing educational and cultural activities. The regional council has no legislative authority. The seat of the regional council will beStrasbourg. The regional council,elected in December 2015, is controlled byThe Republicans.[22] The elected inaugural president of the Grand Est Regional Council isPhilippe Richert, who was previously the President of the Alsace Regional Council.[22] The current president isJean Rottner.
Thegross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 159.9 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 6.7% of French economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,400 euros or 84% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 101% of the EU average.[23]
^The nameAlsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine was created by hyphenating the merged regions' names in alphabetical order; theregional council had to approve a new name for the region by 1 July 2016.[7] France'sConseil d'État approved Grand Est as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, effective 30 September 2016.[8]
^"Strasbourg sera la capitale de la future région Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine".Le Monde (in French). 20 November 2014. Retrieved25 August 2015.[Members of the National Assembly] decided Thursday, 20 November to designate in advance Strasbourg as the capital of the future region Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine in a gesture to appease the Alsatian politicians. (From French: Les députés ont décidé jeudi 20 novembre de désigner par avance Strasbourg comme capitale de la future grande région Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine dans un geste d'apaisement vis-à-vis des élus alsaciens.)
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