The psychodrama is over. During the municipal council on Thursday, May 30, we were able to find out who was taking over the delegation of Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert (NPG), previously deputy for Culture, dismissed “for “breach of trust” by the mayor, Gregory Doucet who therefore finished separating in pain from its free electron.
It is the very loyal 1st deputy, Audrey Henocque, already endowed with a strong delegation who still sees her political weight weighing a little more.
In addition to Finance and Major Events, it is she who takes over Culture. And you should know that culture and heritage are the second budget of the ecological municipality: a necessity for a city of European dimension like Lyon which must be able to shine culturally through its Opera, its Auditorium and its symphony orchestra, its Maison de la Danse , etc.
Who is she ?
She should therefore become the busiest deputy by far.
But who is she? At 43, mother of two children, who became hemiplegic at the age of 15 following a car accident, this hard worker, graduate of Science-Po Grenoble, founded the ALARME association with her brother at the age of 20. (Free Association for Research Support on the Spinal Cord). It was only the beginning of an associative commitment which would lead her to the environmentalist list of Fanny Dubot in the 7th arrondissement, then to that of Grégory Doucet.
Within the executive at the start of the mandate, Audrey Hénocque was certainly the one who had the most experience in local authorities within the municipal team: she was director of human resources in the Department of Rhône at the age 26. She then served as a territorial administrator at the Métropole de Lyon, as well as at the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
We therefore better understand the weight that it is gaining within the executive.
However, to support it, the municipal reshuffle called for other changes in the town hall’s organizational chart: Grégory Doucet added two “secretaries of state”. The socialist Emmanuel Giraud will take care of “artistic and cultural education” and “cultural rights”. And Adrien Drioli, who left the Lyon group jointly and distanced himself from Nathalie Perrin‐Gilbert during the psychodrama, became delegated advisor for “responsible public purchasing” and “new resources”.
What about the Guimet museum?
The fact remains that Audrey Henocque will quickly have to face major challenges, and reassure a world of culture shaken by internal bickering within the executive.
And in particular clarify a future issue for Lyon: the future of the Guimet museum. Its failure to remain within the fold of Lyon was a casus belli for NPG.
It had even been considered by the town hall, given the importance of the work to be undertaken for its rehabilitation, to sell it.
What decision will ultimately be taken regarding this museum, which has been almost abandoned for fifteen years, to which the people of Lyon are very attached?
It also remains, as a consequence of this crisis, that with the dismissal of Nathalie-Perrin Gilbert, Gregory Doucet also now finds himself facing a strong opponent, who is also an excellent speaker.
This is what she suggested during her departure speech from her position as Deputy for Culture, much anticipated during the last municipal council: “I am not a sad or angry woman and even less dejected if someone had a doubt, even a hope. I’m going to go all over the city, to meet the people of Lyon, and really listen to them. The people of Lyon know that they can count on me to carry their voice in this assembly until 2026… and, I hope, beyond. »
NPG does not hide his desire to run for mayor in the next municipal elections…
