Author: Maëllie GERNIDOS

On 1 July, Lindsay de Sausmarez MP was elected to lead the Executive Government of Guernsey by the Great Electors, with the support of 22 votes from Members of Parliament, beating Mark Helyar MP (11 votes) and Jonathan le Tocq MP (7 votes). Lindsay de Sausmarez is the new head of the Policy and Resources Committee, which represents the executive government of Guernsey and is responsible for coordinating the actions of the States and allocating the budgets of the eight committees. She is the first woman to be elected as First Minister.

From 25 to 27 June, the Ille-et-Vilaine département welcomed Jersey and Guernsey sports officials to sustain and initiate cooperation in various sporting disciplines. The itinerary included meetings with local clubs, visits to sports facilities and social events. There’s plenty of scope for collaboration in athletics, swimming and skateboarding, to name but a few!

The islands of Jersey and Guernsey were delighted to take part in the European Garden Days organised by the French Ministry of Culture on the theme of ‘Gardens of Stone’. Candie Gardens in Guernsey and the Eric Young Orchid Foundation in Jersey welcomed the public to festive celebrations honouring the natural beauty of their gardens.

The Channel Islands are considering participating in other French or European cultural events and may well offer sites to visit during European Heritage Days. Watch the space… 

After a successful first visit in May, a technical delegation from the Normandy region travelled to Guernsey and Jersey to prepare for the event year “2027: European Year of the Normans“, which celebrates the Millennium of the birth of William the Conqueror. During this artistic visit, the delegation discovered the collection of Rennes artist Claude Cahun in Jersey, Victor Hugo’s house in Guernsey, followed in the footsteps of Auguste Renoir in Guernsey, visited the heritage sites of Elizabeth Castle, Mont Orgueil Castle and Castle Cornet, and ended with a magnificent private tour of La Hougue Bie and a performance by the Ballet D’Jerri. This was a great opportunity for the Normandy region to explore artistic ways of collaborating with the Channel Islands for the European Year of the Normans!

As part of the event year, “2027 European Year of the Normans“, a technical delegation from the Normandy region visited Guernsey and Jersey. “2027 European Year of the Normans” celebrates the millennium of the birth of William the Conqueror and invites partner countries, including England, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, France and the Channel Islands to celebrate this shared heritage.  More than just a festive event, “2027: European Year of the Normans” aims to highlight the Norman heritage shared across Europe through artistic, cultural, linguistic and other collaborations. The Normandy delegation was able to discover and understand the unique cultural heritage inherited from the Dukes of Normandy in the Channel Islands by meeting with cultural players and exploring specific avenues for collaboration. The Channel Islands still recognise the King of England as ‘Our Duke’, in respect of the Duchy of Normandy. This unique heritage, which is still palpable in the Channel Islands, will give the world a better understanding of their very special and charming status. A second visit is scheduled for June.

For the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands, a French delegation (representatives of the regions of Normandy and Brittany and the departments of Manche and Ille et Vilaine) visited Jersey, Guernsey and Sark. Princess Anne was present in Guernsey and Sark to celebrate this historic moment for the Channel Islands. Elected representatives from Normandy and Brittany were able to interact and exchange views with their elected counterparts from the Channel Islands, as well as with the Bailiffs. It was a wonderful opportunity to honour the past and celebrate the future, while recalling the close links between the Channel Islands and France.

Following fruitful initial exchanges at the Saint Malo Boat Show on 25-27 April, the marinas of Brittany and the Channel, together with Guernsey Marinas, visited the Jersey Boat Show from 3 to 5 May. A new opportunity to deepen exchanges on joint promotion and strengthen relations towards solid cooperation.