Philippe Castanet, prefect, on the eve of his departure: “What I will remember about Lozère is above all the people”

On the eve of your departure, how do you look back on these 32 months spent in Lozère?

I think I worked hard. Obviously, we always leave too early. It's not all over. It is a task that never ends. I gave a lot of energy. I take away a lot of good memories. I saw beautiful people.

I was able to do things I loved. What I really like is the contact, the visits to communities, to businesses, farms, factories, craftsmen. I visited 90 municipalities and filled out a map of the department to see where I hadn't been. I realized, one day, that I had not been to the south of Aubrac. I asked the mayors to spend a day with them. I chose my day wrong, since it was freezing cold! But I really enjoyed the Trébatut truffade. There are still areas that I haven't been able to explore well. I should have gone to Saint-Juéry because it is magnificent, I am told. I'll go next time, I'll have to come back!

These thirty-two months have been very busy!

It's been a very rich two and a half years. I was able to exercise all facets of the job of prefect. Represent the State, manage services, guarantee quality democratic exercises. I held two legislative elections, a European election, a senatorial election, municipal and intermediate elections, various and varied elections that we don't see. Everything went well. These are electoral processes that we organize or supervise. They guarantee that France is indeed a democratic country. And then there are questions of public order, civil security, all of that came up constantly. Lozère is a very active department. And as there are few of us in charge, and it is true in the municipalities, it is true in the department, it is true on the State side, we are always on the go.

Moreover, I thank the staff of the prefecture and all state services for the work carried out together.

We are in great demand when we are a prefect…

And in Lozère, perhaps even more than elsewhere! Some say that Lozère is the smallest department in France. This is false, moreover, because it is the Territoire de Belfort which is the smallest, and the least populated, it is Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. But it is undoubtedly the largest village in France.

It's friendly, people know each other, we greet each other

Which has immense advantages, because it's friendly, people know each other, we greet each other. There is no shortage of topics for conversation. But when we go shopping, we can have moments of solitude, with subjects that come to mind and about which we perhaps don't have all the information. I made myself strong enough to always have almost everything in mind, to be able to continue the discussion, even around the corner.

Which issues were particularly close to your heart?

In reality, I took everything to heart because there are no small files and big files. But I often cite the Villefort fish farm, which is one of the first projects on which I co-financed and which I had the chance to inaugurate in the summer of 2023. There was also the Hôtel du Rochefort in Florac. We launched the operation and I had the pleasure of inaugurating it a few weeks ago.

You have also often talked about energy production…

Renewable energies were a bit like my first and last act. Since I practically started by inaugurating the La Tieule photovoltaic power plant. And the last act that I am going to sign is the refusal of the Croix de Bor wind turbines. I consider it unacceptable for wind turbines to be higher than mountains. But this territory must invent a system in which it is energetically self-sufficient. And that’s exactly what we set our sights on. That is to say, we produce half of the energy we consume, we must produce the other half. And for that, we have wind, water and sun. There needs to be a balance.

Among the long-term files, there was also the wolf.

During the period I was here, we shot the first wolves under regular conditions, which helped reduce the pressure on the herds. We had more than 500 victims in 2022; we will drop to 250 this year.

We shot the first wolves

Certainly, it's 250 too many, but it's half as much. And we will undoubtedly have killed three wolves this year (the third was injured, we think he did not survive, Editor's note). We see that the attacks have stopped. We demonstrate that we can fully implement the wolf plan. We put in place shepherd helpers. We are capable of shooting wolves. We have increased protection aid. We're doing something. It's never finished, but it's well underway.

We have also worked to resolve the issue of sensitive grasslands. It is not completely resolved, but we had to rescue 70% of the farmers who were stuck.

What image will you keep of Lozère?

The landscapes are magnificent, obviously. A little too empty for my taste. I think that Lozère must have the idea that the vitality of the territory is its population.

The vitality of the territory is its population

And for there to be a population, there must be activity. So I think we should not hide this activity. I'm not sure that we are right to only include empty landscapes when we promote Lozère outside. What I will remember most are the people. A population that is very open, extremely welcoming. Who accepts the discussion. Who, when she makes a deal, keeps it.

Do you have any regrets?

Yes, because there are files that we have not been able to complete. There are things that still need to be done. I will leave suggestions to my successor!

I couldn't do the forest defense plan against fire as I imagined, for example. I would have liked to intervene more in the economic field to support the development and creation of businesses. I would also have liked to unblock the vacant housing counter. This number of housing units absolutely must be reduced. There is a shortage of 2,000 rental housing units in Lozère. I assure you that they are missing because there are people who are housed in energetic sieves. And we have more than 6,000 vacant homes. It would be enough to renovate a third of them and rent them out, that's not the end of the world.

I'm leaving in less than three years, so I was missing a few months to perfect my achievements. If I had had a little more time, I would have rushed less at the end of the exercise.

Do you know what awaits you next?

I haven't signed yet, but I should be general director of services for the Greater Paris metropolis. So that’s the big gap. I go from 76,000 inhabitants in winter and 200,000 in the middle of summer to 7,200,000 inhabitants. And yet there are common issues, such as recruitment difficulties. Besides, when I arrived in Lozère, I found that there was not that big of a difference. And that's why I proclaimed in the city and the world that Lozère should not be considered as an island. No, Lozère is similar to the other departments, but each has its own specificity. It is better to build answers with others about what brings us together rather than seeking splendid isolation. Customers from Lozère are outside. We have businesses, economic players, and even our pastoralists who are in a hurry to be exported.

What message would you like to leave to Lozériens?

During my stay in Lozère, 3,000 Lozerians died; 1,300 were born. And 1,800 settled in Lozère. We must ensure that these 1,800 new people feel good in Lozère, that they are well integrated into the socio-economic fabric, and that we allow them to fully flourish.

The oxygen of Lozère is the people it welcomes

Today, we have a capacity to produce youth, if I dare say, which is limited, that's how it is, so we absolutely have to capture skills, and for that we have to create desire. Lozère must remain oxygenated. The oxygen of Lozère is not just that of the air, it is that of the people it welcomes.