“An excellent welcome”: in Aveyron, the first steps of the new prefect Claire Chauffour-Rouillard

Claire Chauffour-Rouillard officially took up his duties as prefect of Aveyron this Wednesday, November 25, 2024. She is the 30th under the Fifth Republic, the seventh woman. As tradition dictates, his day began at the end of the morning in front of the Rodez war memorial for a wreath-laying, under the gaze of a detached section of the 13th DBLE of the Foreign Legion. She was also able to meet all the officials of the department, from representatives of law enforcement and religions to politicians, parliamentarians and local elected officials. The start of a first day full of smiles and at full speed, during which the woman who has just celebrated her 40th birthday also met the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dominique Costes, representatives of the local press as well as the prefecture’s workforce.

“Dialogue”, “intelligence locale”

“And already, I felt an excellent welcome and a desire to work together”confided, at the beginning of the afternoon, the ENA graduate, previously stationed in Seine-Saint-Denis as sub-prefect. Without hiding that she didn't know yet “not much” of the department, except “of course its very high quality products such as Roquefort, Aubrac meat…”

The transition was perfect to evoke the news of the moment: the agricultural crisis. Claire Chauffour-Rouillard, a native of Indre-et-Loire and having grown up in Provence before going into exile in the capital, has already announced that she would reserve her first official trip to this angry agricultural world. “I have deep respect for our farmers and those of Aveyron have oriented their production towards quality. I care about that,” she continued, without avoiding the latest demonstrations in front of the state building. And in particular that of last week, led by Rural Coordination, where the prefecture was not spared…

“That we demonstrate in front of our walls is a classic and understandable. But I hope that this is done with respect for people and property”she adds, saying she is attached “to dialogue” and to “l’intelligence locale”. The various unions in the profession, as well as the president of the Chamber of Agriculture, must also be received in the coming days. In the meantime, Claire Chauffour-Rouillard will continue to make her mark in a department “about which my predecessor, Charles Giusti, only said good things to me!”