Are wishes still popular?
“Wishes are a beautiful tradition, it would be a shame if it were lost.” In the middle of an assembly of around 200 people, gathered in the Montmoreau village hall on Friday evening, Dominique Robert, 54, listens attentively to the speech of his mayor, Jean-Michel Bolvin.
The fifty-year-old comes every year to attend this start-of-year ceremony. “We hear a lot about work here and there, but when it comes out of the mayor's mouth, we are sure of what is going to be done and then it helps bring people together.” A few chairs further, Véronique Augendre, 44, cashier at Super U, came from her debauchery, with her husband and two children. “I like to see people who are congratulated for what they have done good in the town. And then it’s only through wishes that we all find ourselves like this, among residents of the town.” Jean-Pierre Maignan and Gilberte Pregniard, 80 and 82 years old, also come every year. “It allows you to have contact with people in the municipality, to learn things, it’s important.”
“It’s always expected!”, confirms Gwenhaël François, the mayor of Montbron. “There are always people there, people like it.” In Saint-Séverin, Patrick Gallès expects “between 250 and 300 people” compared to around fifty for the June information meeting.” Also in Aigre, Renaud Combeau was packed for his ceremony at the beginning of January. “It’s a fundamental meeting,” says Dominique Breuil in Lignières Ambleville. “A tradition, even, and one of the rare times when people come easily. The residents are waiting for this meeting.”
The department canceled his wishes
Like several communities in France, the Charente department has chosen not to organize greetings this year for budgetary reasons. This ceremony usually brings together the authorities and numerous mayors and elected officials. In the small towns of Charente, the question has not really arisen. “A piece of pancake and apple juice doesn’t ruin the city,” says Gwenhaël François in Montbron. “In Montmoreau, Jean-Michel Bolvin didn't even consider it. “We are still a new commune so this ceremony is an important meeting point between the inhabitants of the five old communes. We want this festive break. » “We get by for a few hundred euros”, estimates Patrick Gallès, the mayor of Saint-Séverin. “It doesn’t burden the budget.” “And we put local craftsmen to work,” adds Renaud Combeau to Aigre. “The toasts come from the restaurant, the cake from the bakery and the wine from Roland Vilneau”.
What is it for?
“When you love people, it helps to see them!”, summarizes Isabelle Moufflet, mayor of Vindelle. “It’s time to discuss everything and nothing, to address grievances.” “We explain to them what we did during the year and we say what we plan to do in the 2025 budget,” indicates Gwenhaël François who presented his wishes to the Montbronnais on Thursday evening. ”It’s a good way to communicate.” “A moment of meeting”, adds Fabrice Point, in Chasseneuil. With the famous imposed exercise of the mayor's speech. Between retrospective and projection into the year to come. Classic.
We try not to be too planplan
How to dust off exercise?
“We try not to be too plan-plan,” says Isabelle Moufflet. She opts for “a short speech.” “And I try to combine it with medal ceremonies, so that there is rhythm,” says Patrick Gallès in Saint-Séverin, where the fire captain and the former mayor will be honored. In Aigre, Renaud Combeau is the only one to speak. Supporting slide, the weight of the words the shock of the photos. Focusing this year on the theme of abandoned buildings for which the municipality is obliged to issue danger orders. “I show the real state of these houses and it provokes a reaction!”
“The formula has lost a little of its interest”, analyzes Pierre-Yves Briand, mayor of Châteaubernard. “We can see that people feel obliged to come, or they don’t come at all. So for two or three years, we have been offering something different: we start with a classic ceremony, where we present the year in review for around twenty minutes, then we follow up with a show. And it works! It motivates people to come. The show is free but requires reservation, and some even come from outside the town. It no longer has much to do with a classic greeting ceremony but we keep this friendly moment.” Also in Lignières Ambleville where a band entertained the evening and people were able to taste oysters and champagne soup! In Angoulême, Xavier Bonnefont's speech concluded with a sound and light show.
In Montmoreau, the town made an extra effort on the decoration and brought in the Blanzac philharmonic orchestra to liven up the evening. Images and videos of achievements and projects appear on two screens. “And we added new features to make the event more interactive,” notes Jean-Michel Bolvin. “There is an ideas box to collect what residents want to suggest to us. A wish frame, which will then be displayed in the town hall, and a questionnaire on our social networks to then improve them. »
Is it time to declare your candidacy?
15 months before the municipal elections, the question arises. Are these wish ceremonies the ideal time to announce your candidacy? Among the outgoing mayors, opinions differ.
“To be honest, I didn’t think I would talk about municipal elections,” says Gwenhaël François, the mayor of Montbron. “And then I did five, six vow ceremonies, I saw my colleagues declare themselves…” So he chose to launch himself last Thursday evening in front of the Montbronnais.
“With the municipal council, we want to continue, if you wish. I thought I would not announce it to you until January 2026 but since the ball is open, I will continue,” he indicated to the applause of the room. In Soyaux, François Nebout chose to procrastinate. “It’s still too early, I will decide in April.” Same story for Isabelle Moufflet: “A lot of things can still happen! » “For me, this is not the place,” corroborates Fabrice Point, outgoing mayor of Chasseneuil. Not the place “nor the moment”, says Patrick Gallès again.
