The mayor of the capital who will not run for a third term affirmed that the increase in operating expenses of the municipality is due to decisions of the State “which have not been compensated”, in an interview with Monde.
While the debt of the city of Paris has increased since her arrival at City Hall, Anne Hidalgo defends her record. “We have balanced accounts, certified by an auditor and validated by rating agencies with the highest possible rating for a community”assures the mayor of the capital in an interview with Monde this Tuesday, November 26, in which she also announced that she would not be a candidate for a third term in 2026.
The community's debt could reach 8.8 billion euros at the end of the year and 9.3 billion euros at the end of 2025, according to its projections. More than double its amount when Anne Hidalgo was elected for the first time in 2014. But the mayor of Paris defended her spending, ensuring that it “would not be sustainable […] not to invest in the ecological transition and housing”. She also affirms that the city's investment “is largely self-funded” and that his “recourse to external borrowing remains within reasonable limits”.
'I don't plan to raise taxes'
Anne Hidalgo also throws the ball back into the court of the State, which according to her is responsible for the increase in operating expenses with decisions “which have not been compensated”such as increasing the index point of civil servants. “The State’s debt to the City of Paris amounts to more than a billion euros”she believes.
The mayor of Paris reaffirmed her opposition to the significant savings demanded from local authorities by the draft budget under discussion in Parliament. The government originally planned 5 billion euros in savings, but has started to change its position. “This would be equivalent for Paris to new levies of between 300 million and 350 million euros, denounced Anne Hidalgo. This is, for example, the budget for school meals from nursery to secondary school and the budget for families and nurseries…”
“I will never reduce the size of the public service and I do not plan to increase taxes”she assured, not wishing “answer the question of whether to save money”. In «combat» with the government on this point of the budget, Anne Hidalgo nevertheless defends a search for compromise rather than censorship. “We must negotiate and obtain significant progress on the issue of public services and ecological transition.”
