Anne Hidalgo will leave the Mayor’s Office of Paris in 2026. The announcement, perhaps somewhat expected, opens a new scenario at a time when the tectonic movements of French politics are beginning to become increasingly violent. The first mayor of the country’s capital takes a thoughtful step to the side, she said in an interview with Le Monde. “It’s a decision I made a long time ago. I have always considered that two terms are enough to carry out profound changes. Out of respect for the Parisians, I wanted to announce it well in advance and at a time that would allow us to prepare for a calm transition and accompany a team.”
Hidalgo has been at the helm of the Parisian mayor’s office for eight years and will leave a profound legacy, especially in matters of green mobility – restricted circulation areas or an impressive circuit of bicycle lanes – and a highly successful Olympic Games that captivated the world, just when France was going through one of its most politically complicated moments.
The project, believes the first mayor, is not finished. And that is why the announcement of his change of scenery is accompanied by support for the candidacy of his possible successor, Senator Rémi Féraud. “I know him well,” he said. “And I’ve appreciated it for a long time; He is the one who will be able to carry our history and reinvent a future for Paris. It has the solidity, seriousness and capacity necessary to unite. We have fought many battles together, he as mayor of the 10th district and as president of the majority group since 2014. Rémi has always known how to maintain a respectful but firm relationship with the left-wing partners who are part of our team, and as a senator since 2017, It also has a national dimension.”
The race had opened a few days ago. In fact, Emmanuel Grégoire, who was his deputy to the Mayor’s Office, announced a few days ago his intention to run. Ian Brossat, a member of the Communist Party – a party that governs in coalition in Paris with the socialists – and was a former advisor to Hidalgo for immigration and housing issues, has also run.
The socialist politician affirms in the interview with Le Monde who hopes to continue working with his party and also – and this is more relevant – with Raphaël Glucksmann, the independent candidate who headed the list supported by the socialists in the European elections in June. Hidalgo believes that Glucksmann could “take leadership” of the “social democratic and environmentalist” force for which he plans to work after the congress at the beginning of next year. “The PS congress must ensure that the party once again becomes a great democratic force. I hope that other candidates, in addition to [el primer secretario del partido] Olivier Faure, provide a new voice. The party is very weakened, but it must better express what people expect it to represent politically. If we obtained a very good result in the European elections, it was thanks to what Raphaël Glucksmann embodies,” he insists.
In any case, the mayor assures that she will not be a candidate for the French presidential elections again after in 2022 she obtained an unexpected result of only 1.7% of the vote at the head of the socialists.
Hidalgo has great weight in the Socialist Party and his voice will be very relevant for the future configuration of alliances. The mayor of Paris represents the sector that does not agree with the society formed with La Francia Insumisa, by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. “We are not at all on the same register of values, and his recent proposal to repeal the law on advocacy of terrorism clearly demonstrates this.” In fact, he rejects that the socialists should vote on a motion of censure against the Government of conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier, despite disagreements with him. His position is that “we must negotiate and obtain important advances [con Barnier] in public services and the ecological transition.”
