Nearly 800 kilometers separate Pau from Bobigny. This journey is the one that Julien Charles has just made, going from the post of prefect of Pyrénées-Atlantiques to that of prefect of Seine-Saint-Denis. His appointment to the Council of Ministers dates from November 6. He replaces Jacques Witkowskiwho was appointed prefect of the Grand Est region a month earlier.
At 49 years old, Julien Charles' CV is rather classic for the role. Born in Cantal, he studied at Sciences-po then ENA, before occupying several positions in the sub-prefecture. He was secretary general of regional affairs at the Île-de-France prefecture, alongside Michel Cadot, from 2018 to 2020. He was then appointed prefect of Saône-et-Loire, then Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Safety as priority
“I arrive with great enthusiasm“, he underlines during a first meeting with the press this Monday. “We are coming out of a fascinating period for the department, that of the Olympics, where many projects saw the light of day. I also arrive aware of the challenges to be met in terms of housing, employment, security“Security, the first priority area of work, specifies the prefect who will have “a partnership approach with the Paris police prefect, also competent in the territory, but also in cooperation with mayors, justice, transport operators, landlords...”
Julien Charles also identified a strong need for public service, in Seine-Saint-Denis more than elsewhere. “My responsibility is that the State services respond as best they can, at the best cost.” indicates the senior official. In these times of budgetary rigor, while anger is brewing among local elected officials, to whom the government has asked to make savings, Julien Charles procrastinates: “let's wait for the end of the budget discussions“. He is optimistic about his ability to develop good relations with mayors from the department: “I intend to have a direct connection with them. There are 40 of them here, it will be easier than in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques where there are more than 500!“
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