Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol announced that he was suffering from bladder cancer. The socialist mayor of Rouen intends to break the taboo of illness in the professional world.
The mayor of Rouen Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol revealed his bladder cancer this Wednesday. And he wants to lift the taboo of illness in the professional environment. The socialist is sporting a mustache this November, for “Movember”. This is an initiative where men grow mustaches, raise awareness and raise funds for the fight against male cancers.
“Change life”
On Wednesday, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol appeared with his mustache and the sincerity of his testimony, with a press release shared on the social network -he. “Never has my determination to act to change lives been greater.”
“Changer la vie” comes from a poem by Arthur Rimbaud but also the title of the socialist program which will lead François Mitterrand to the Elysée in 1981 but also a song by Jean-Jacques Goldman. This announcement is both personal and political. Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol talks about the illness rather than his own case.
Seine-Maritime affected by pollution
Illness, and the sick. If he admitted to having been treated before having had a relapse and being treated again, the Rouen councilor assures that he is well: “I have no metastases”. However, he mentions an aggressive cancer, which is five times more present in his department (Seine-Maritime) than the average. If he reveals it, it is also to talk about the pollution of water, food and air. In short, to talk about its citizens. Until now, only those close to him knew about it.
His testimony is therefore also to break a taboo: that of illness in the workplace. “The illness has in no way prevented me from working or acting,” he says, but the socialist also highlights the isolation of cancer victims. Many are silent. “Some fear for their professional future,” according to him.
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A plan for agents of the Rouen metropolis suffering from cancer
“To the suffering of the body are added difficulties of a psychological, emotional and social order,” he further explains. A plan for metropolitan agents suffering from cancer will be put in place, the mayor also announced, specifying that he excludes resigning from his mandate.
