the essential
The mayor of Villeneuve-sur-Lot Guillaume Lepers has qualified for the second round of the legislative elections and will face the outgoing RN MP Annick Cousin. If he is elected on Sunday evening, he will have to leave his seat as mayor and president of the agglomeration, as required by law.
“Who will replace you at the town hall?” The question was asked at the first public meeting of candidate Lepers, before the first round and therefore his qualification for the second half of the legislative elections. Since announcing his candidacy, the mayor of Villeneuve-sur-Lot has clearly seen that this question is worrying many Villeneuvois. “I know that this may worry you, but I am not going back on the commitments that I made to you and to Villeneuve-sur-Lot” he wrote down in a letter that should be distributed in the next few hours to the mailboxes of Villeneuve residents and that we were able to consult. “On the contrary! Today, I want to reaffirm my determination to move our city and our region forward”.
The LR candidate wants to be reassuring. Because if he is elected – which is quite possible if the transfer of votes is massive – the law on the non-accumulation of mandates will force Guillaume Lepers to leave his seat as mayor and president of the agglomeration. Not a departure from municipal affairs either, since he will remain a simple advisor. “My team is more mobilized than ever to maintain this new course that we have taken together. The bar is held, and it will continue to be held” he continues in this letter.
Gérard Régnier, Patricia Suppi and Xavier Clerc, three assistants who are holding the rope
The municipal team, for this campaign, is united behind the Lepers-Rey duo. Several councilors and deputies accompany him on the ground of the 3rd constituency. Already Monday evening, on the Villeréal side. Guillaume Lepers, was then accompanied by three figures of the majority: Gérard Régnier, Xavier Clerc and Michel Laville. The first two are names that come back behind the scenes to take possession of the tricolor sash. Gérard Régnier, deputy for urban planning, is the one who ticks all the boxes to succeed the mayor. He was elected for the first time deputy mayor in 1993 with Michel Gonelle, he is under the Lepers mandate deputy for urban planning, works, heritage public markets and combatant world. He is therefore aware of all the “big projects” in progress and in the pipeline.
As for Xavier Clerc, the deputy who is responsible for general administration, human resources, social action and health, he is well-liked by the seniors of the bastide and has a good knowledge of how the “town hall ocean liner” works. But he already has to juggle a very busy schedule, between his professional life and his community involvement. Another name comes up, that of Patricia Suppi. The deputy for educational success and youth is, like Guillaume Lepers, also elected to the departmental council. A profile similar to the mayor of the bastide, who can plead the cause of the bastide to the Department and who knows the files. Also for the symbolism, which would make her the first mayor of Villeneuve.
But all of this is just projections. Nothing is decided by this second round of the legislative elections and Guillaume Lepers will have a lot to do between now and Sunday to win the 3rd constituency from the National Rally. And by then, other profiles could emerge within the Villeneuve majority.
