tense exchange between Hidalgo and Dati at the Paris council

In the middle of a Paris Council meeting, Rachida Dati formulated a long list of reproaches addressed to Anne Hidalgo and her majority about their municipal management. The mayor of Paris in return questioned the minister’s attachment to the capital, accusing her of portraying the city as “hell on Earth”.

The return of the best enemies of the Council of Paris. The mayor of the capital Anne Hidalgo and the opposition municipal councilor and Minister of Culture Rachida Dati (right-wing group Changer Paris) once again proposed an intense battle of arms during the session, this Wednesday, October 9.

It all started with a request made by Anne Hidalgo concerning an office allocation matter. The Changer Paris group has in fact been ordered for several days to leave the offices allocated to it in favor of the young opposition group Union Capitale, also from the right, which has benefited from rallies allowing it to become the first group of opposition.

“I don’t trade beliefs for an office”

It is customary for the largest opposition group to benefit from the historic offices in the Town Hall, currently occupied by Changer Paris elected officials. But so far, they refuse to move. Anne Hidalgo therefore once again made this request this Wednesday morning in the Council of Paris.

But this public request provoked the annoyance of Rachida Dati, who replied forcefully: “You can make us change premises. Unfortunately for you, I will still be there. It will not change anything. The change of office does not change my presence. I regret it for you. I do not exchange convictions for an office.

And the Paris councilor then began a Prévert-style inventory of all the criticisms that she regularly addresses to the mayor and her majority regarding the management of the capital: the concreting of the city, the difficulties of access to housing, “anarchy on the sidewalks”, childcare problems, “dirt”, the closure of classes and even insecurity.

“Madam Mayor, we haven’t heard much from you about the sexual assaults and the women raped on the Champ-de-Mars or about the assassination of the young Filipina”, a 19-year-old student whose body was discovered at Bois de Boulogne, launched Rachida Dati.

“You had to be there this morning, Madame Dati,” said Anne Hidalgo, in reference to the minute of silence organized for Philippine at the opening of the Paris Council this Wednesday.

“You campaign on the issues”

The mayor of Paris then returned to the list of criticisms made by the opposition councilor, accusing her of describing the capital as “hell on Earth”. “Ms. Dati, while listening to you, a phrase comes to mind that Kamala Harris said to Mr. Trump. She said to him ‘You campaign on the problems and we solve the problems'”.

“You are not quite in a position to carry the ambitions of Paris, because I believe that you really do not like this city. And you do not like this very open and inclusive way that we carry in this city who is today admired by the whole world,” Anne Hidalgo further accused.

“I invite you to take inspiration from figures other than Trump. And I invite you to vacate your offices,” the councilor finally asserted.

The Paris Council session, which is currently underway, opened on Tuesday and is due to end on Friday.