By Cedric Nithard
Published on
May 3, 24 at 7:32 p.m.
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The prefect of Hérault François-Xavier Lauch was the guest on Thursday April 25 of Mozart Circle as part of its traditional meetings. The opportunity for the state representativein post in the department since last October, to reaffirm his role and his perception on multiple folders in front elected officials, decision-makers and local entrepreneurs.
Debuts appreciated by the Mozart Circle
The meeting with the prefect of Hérault was obviously expected, the Mozart Circle having had to refuse people. No doubt, the shadow of his predecessor, and his intervention in the same context, still loomed slightly as Jean-Marc Maillot suggested. “It is always easier to take over from someone who has not left an unforgettable memory. Unfortunately, this was not your case since Prefect Moutouh left an extremely favorable memory in our department.” Was his successor François-Xavier Lauch going to follow in his lineage?
“You immediately left your mark on the territory, taking on difficult decisions, increasing the number of trips and meetings, not hesitating to shake up your services, to question sclerotic situations… in short, to act in the general interest” draws the president of the Cercle Mozart before judging: “It is clear after more than six months of presence in Hérault that your action receives full support. There was unanimity in saluting your attitude, your proximity, your intelligence and understanding of the issues” highlighting “determination rather than incantation, action rather than conversations and results rather than simple communication “.
The importance of being on the ground
“I am honored to stand before you and remind you that I am a senior civil servant of the State so the number of places that are not free and the popularity polls interest me little.” A strict introduction to a speech on the method characteristic of the rigor and respect for the function demonstrated by François-Xavier Lauch since his arrival which made the meeting an explanation of “what a prefect is in 2024 in the department of Hérault”.
If his career led him to be former chief of staff of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron from 2017 to 2020, chief of staff to the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin from 2020 to 2022, prefect of Tarn from 2022 to 2023 before joining Hérault last October, he defines himself more with regard to the dozen positions in different functions in the prefecture as “the category of those who have taken the next step stage of the prefectural career. An attachment to the administration and a pride that this “rural child born in the depths of Limousin” saw grow through contact with “his father, a category C or even D civil servant” or a model like Jean Moulin.
For several months in Hérault, he has been explaining his method. “When you are somewhere and you have had different experiences, the worst thing is to remain a prisoner of them. We therefore need to know the territory and that’s why I spend a lot of time in the field. And even, I set myself a goal of spending as little time as possible behind my desk” by explaining: “This state that I represent needs to be embodied on the ground by a prefect, sub-prefects, government services. state which does something essential for our fellow citizens which is to be listened to and heard in their difficulties. There is nothing worse than a distant state which stupidly and maliciously applies things thought up in Paris, which are not necessarily bad but which do not necessarily correspond to the reality of a territory”
Security but not only
Recalling therefore his role of “enforcing laws and regulations” but also of “relaying information to government ministers”, if he knows he is expected on a particular subject, without kicking in, François-Xavier Lauch clarified: “A prefect is the representative of all ministers. However, when you hear about prefects, you very often think about security issues. Except that I don’t just do that and it’s even a very limited part of my office. It’s a central question but I don’t just do that.”
Questioned on this theme, he recalled his main action on certain businesses – night grocery stores, hookah bars, hairdressers-barbers – which “would rather live from money laundering” by carrying out numerous controls leading to administrative closures which could go up to ‘at six months. “They degrade the living environment and represent anti-competitive practices for other businesses such as tobacconists.” And to indicate that 95 have been closed in Hérault in 2023 and around forty since the start of the year. The prefect also insisted on security in transport with a partnership method and a global approach to networks, thus illustrating the continuum of security applied more generally.
“Essential infrastructure”
Eager therefore not to embody only security issues, among his priorities François-Xavier Lauch first mentions “the development of infrastructures”. Saying of his previous position in Tarn “to be very proud to have launched the A69 project”, he intends here to lead the New Montpellier-Perpignan Line (LNMP), the Montpellier Western Bypass (COM), the files of development of multimodal in Montpellier… The prefect indicates “to push a lot so that Montpellier is retained as a Metropolitan Regional Express Service (SERM) and that we move forward on very simple subjects such as putting buses with a high level of service on the highways and that the trams go to all the important places” and to throw a stone in the tank: “I am going to make enemies but the station and the airport, I will say no more…” adding: “We must do in order to take the trams with real park and ride facilities and, on top of that, have real long journeys by bike.”
“Essential infrastructure” according to François-Xavier Lauch with an important challenge linked to “15,000 more inhabitants each year. This is extraordinary and it challenges state and local officials and all elected officials in the department. It’s something very complicated. And this will continue with 300,000 more inhabitants by 2050.” This comes up against the question of housing and regulatory constraints such as the ZAN or the SRU law, not to mention economic constraints. “The housing crisis has and will have very serious consequences on our department” recognizes François-Xavier Lauch who announces: “I don’t have all the keys in hand. I set out with the housing partners in the department to identify the operations ready to go. 20,000 homes are affected. Sometimes they are blocked because the State imposes rules, and it is complicated because there is the question of security and housing, and there is a banking subject for which the prefect can put the banks around of the table. I’m taking this subject from this end and I’m going to tackle it.” And to advocate among the solutions “the reconstruction of the city within the city, commercial zones to be rehabilitated, old hearts in intermediate cities with rehabilitation actions…”, also emphasizing: “It is not just the social housing, we also need intermediate housing.”
“How we make society”
François-Xavier Lauch also addressed “the social contract, how we create society” noting that “this is strained almost everywhere” and recommending: “The State has a role to play with the fundamental character of education. In this area we must invest and reinvest for the younger generations.” With poverty rates reaching 19%, he calls for “a demanding policy of outstretched hands” and advocates the “emancipatory nature of work”. In connection, the prefect is also positioned in support of “economic development and those who create wealth” and is a “facilitator of business leaders by putting agriculture immediately after”.
François-Xavier Lauch also underlined the importance of maintaining the link between rural and urban areas. “This is a very present subject in our department. “One depends on the other and must work together so that populations do not congregate in the same areas.” Regretting “the disappearance of public services in recent years”, he praises the 44 France Service houses opened in Hérault and announces that he is preparing a plan for rurality. “I’m not necessarily expected to do that but I think it’s very important.”
After withdrawing his approval from the Sète Olympique Football Club, François-Xavier Lauch warns of separatism. “This is progressing insidiously, particularly in the gaps left to the younger generation between school and family. This is why we must have a very strong associative network that we try to stimulate through City policies so that the Republic is everywhere.” A fight against separatism and trafficking which also involves urban renovation undertaken in different districts in Béziers, Lunel, Montpellier and Sète.
“Now we have to think about that”
We weren’t necessarily expecting him on this issue but ecology was one of the central points of François-Xavier Lauch’s intervention. “The thing that strikes me the most in my two positions as prefect and even more in Hérault, is the liveliness with which the subjects of climate change affect us” and to highlight water issues, of course coastline and adaptation topics. “They are arriving much faster than we could imagine,” he believes, praising, through the Green Fund: “The State is stimulating adaptation to climate change.”
In front of the elected officials, decision-makers and entrepreneurs of Hérault, the prefect supports: “Nothing is lost. The trajectory of environmental degradation is reversible if we pay attention, particularly to greenhouse gas emissions. We have few industries and low-emission agriculture so we have two subjects in the department: transport and construction. And we have all the tools to achieve it.” By sending a final message to the audience: “In everything we each do, we must now think about this. Both to try to avoid it and to adapt. I believe that it is through human beings and science that we will get out of this. I am a positivist in the philosophical sense of the term. Where I have a doubt is in the speed of what awaits us. Not only will we have to be good but we will have to do it quickly.” The bulldozer has gone electric.
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