While he chaired the municipal council of his city on Monday December 16, forcing him to follow a meeting in Mayotte by videoconference, the new Prime Minister is castigated by local left-wing elected officials for his choice to accumulate his mandate as mayor in no more Matignon.
In front of the troop of cameras and photographers present for this very special municipal council, François Bayrou arrived in Pau to the applause of his large majority, Monday December 16. For more than three hours, the mayor-minister made the after-sales service of his choice to retain his mandate as mayor, started in 2014, despite his appointment as Prime Minister. A mandate which guarantees him a “rooting” local, too rare among national leaders according to him. “I would suggest to future members of my government that they retain their mandate. And I would suggest to others who are not responsible, to set up a small antenna each on their land, each in their city, so that they can feel this breathing”he even told the elected officials of his city.
An announcement which may come as a surprise given that he has been a great defender of the single mandate until now. “We cannot prohibit [le cumul des mandats] for the deputies and accept it for the members of the government, so I am for the ban on any mandate when you are a minister”he even launched, in 2012, at the Elle forum at Sciences Po. A rule which had tacitly applied since 1997. The controversy is all the more heated as this municipal council forced him to attend a crisis meeting on the situation in Mayotte by videoconference, provoking criticism from his opponents, who point out the incompatibility of his two positions.
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Taking advantage of the over-media coverage of this particular municipal council, the opposition did not spare the mayor-minister and his decision. “Don’t you see the ridiculous and distressing nature of this situation of finding yourself here when you accept, I would even say demand, functions which require your full investment”launched the socialist Jérôme Marbot, leader of the opposition, at the start of the council.
“A deplorable image sent back to our fellow citizens”
Contacted this Tuesday, December 17 by Liberationhe deplores an appointment “disappointing”both nationally and locally, confirmation “that Macron does not take into account the June vote” of the last legislative elections. But above all he denounces François Bayrou’s choice to come to Pau, rather than going to Mayotte, devastated by Cyclone Chido. And deplores the choice of the Prime Minister to put the question of the accumulation of mandates back on the table. “In the situation of political, institutional, democratic and financial crisis, his first declaration concerns the accumulation of mandates: it is both a historical misinterpretation and a deplorable image sent back to our fellow citizens”does not spare by Jérôme Marbot.
Throughout the municipal council, the opposition, which refused to stand up when the mayor arrived unlike the majority, hammered home its criticisms of François Bayrou’s obstinacy in retaining his local mandate. “It’s a political mistake, your first mission, Mr. Bayrou and Mr. Prime Minister, is to take the plane, to go to Mayotte”castigated Tuncay Cilgi, opposition municipal councilor (Democratic and Social Left), believing that the Prime Minister was out of place. Organized to vote on the budget, the municipal council could have been moved according to his colleague Marion Bussy (Democratic and Social Left). “There is no urgency to vote on a budget for the city of Pau when France itself has not been able to vote on its budget”she said not without irony.
“As if the problems of the French were different depending on whether we speak locally or nationally”
Faced with attacks from the nine elected representatives of the opposition, the minister was able to count on his first deputy (MoDem) Jean-Louis Péres to come and save him, praising the “rich experience, both local and national, of Paris”from the former presidential candidate. “When I hear that one is incompatible with the other I don’t understand it, as if the problems of the French were different depending on whether we speak locally or nationally”added the elected official from Pau, who would have taken François Bayrou’s seat if the latter had resigned.
If François Bayrou remains the mayor of Pau for the moment, he has still reorganized his team so that it functions in his absence. All deputies will have additional responsibilities and his first deputy will have a general delegation of his responsibilities. If the accumulation of the function of Prime Minister and the mandate of mayor is strongly criticized, it is however not prohibited by law.
