They each aimed at the mayor’s chair of Paris and all meet today at the door … of the Hôtel de Ville. What happened to Benjamin Griveaux, Cédric Villani and Agnès Buzyn after their race for mayor of Paris? While Paris is experiencing its second confinement, the municipal election and its many twists seem almost to date back to the last century.
Yet, barely a year ago, the Parisian political community was in the middle of the countryside. The ecologist David Belliard was about to reach out to dissident LREM Cédric Villani and offer him to create “a climate coalition”, Rachida Dati (LR) was putting his troops in order, Anne Hidalgo was in the starting line -blocks to formalize his candidacy for re-election, Benjamin Griveaux was in talks to convince the MoDem or even the independent candidate Pierre-Yves Bournazel to join him and Agnès Buzyn was still… Minister of Health.
A year later, Anne Hidalgo re-elected to her post reflects on the presidential election of 2022 and the République En Marche, which was initially given the winner in the capital, has almost disappeared from the Parisian radars. Only three elected members of the party sit on the Paris Council: Catherine Ilbed (15th), Hannah Sebbah (16th) and Alexis Govciyan (9th), all three gathered within the “Independent and Progressives Group”, co-chaired by the mayor (various right) of the 9th, Delphine Bürkli, and the deputy (Agir) Pierre-Yves Bournazel.
Caught up by the broadcast of a sex-tape, Benjamin Griveaux wants to “turn the page”
The headliners, they will not have tasted the joys of the debates of the Council of Paris. Benjamin Griveaux, deputy for the 5th district will not even have cherished the hope of frequenting the Paris hemicycle: the sex-tape disclosed in February forced him to withdraw from the race prematurely.
Since then, the chosen one is bound to strict silence. “I don’t express myself. This is not the time for me, ”he replied. In August, he was entrusted by Prime Minister Jean Castex with a mission (unpaid) on “the means of ensuring young people a better diet accessible to all”. In the background: the question of reducing social inequalities through the food aspect. “It is a subject that I had already had the opportunity to address when I was elected in Burgundy”, specifies the Parisian deputy. The mission focuses especially on feeding the little ones in kindergarten and primary school. “Real equality starts on the plate,” he comments. He has already conducted about fifty hearings and the report should be delivered early next year.
According to several interlocutors he has met in recent weeks, this report could be his last parliamentary work. “He told me he was going to quit politics,” reports Eric Azière, elected (UDI) in the 14th arrondissement.
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“He wants to turn the page. After the violence of the campaign, he wanted to refocus on his family and succeeded in finding a certain serenity within his home. He should take a position in the private sector next year, ”said an interlocutor of the deputy.
From the beginnings of the Covid crisis to her defeat in the 2nd round, a trying year for Agnès Buzyn
His replacement at short notice, the former Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn, is also looking for a position. “She would have several possibilities, including one abroad apparently. But nothing is done, ”explains one of his confidants.
The person, refused to answer our questions. “She had a horrible year: the pandemic, the municipal campaign, the parliamentary hearings, the search of her home… that’s a lot! She wants to move on. She devotes herself to her family life and her professional life, ”explains a confidant. She remains mysterious about her intentions regarding her mandate as borough councilor in the 17th century. Because failing to enter the Council of Paris, Agnès Buzyn was still elected to the council of the 17th century. So far, she hasn’t put a single shoe in the boardroom. An “unacceptable and disrespectful” attitude, attacked the LR MP for the 4th constituency, Brigitte Kuster on Twitter.
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“She had, however, inquired and a little prepared for the last advice, even asking questions about the course …” are surprised people around her. “It was a last-minute impediment that forced her to give up going to the borough council,” the excuse Deborah Pawlik, ex-running mate of Agnes Buzyn.
Despite his defeat and far from the presidential party, Cédric Villani remains very active
His former opponent Cédric Villani, he is much more assiduous in the 14th century district council where he was elected. He also sits on the board of directors of the district school fund. “Voters trusted me,” he recalls. “At some point he will have to make a choice: Essonne, where he is a deputy, or Paris! »Observes an adviser from Paris.
“The fourteenth or Essonne, it is for me the Grand Paris, a subject that I had placed at the heart of my campaign”, he sweeps with a backhand.
He has never met with Benjamin Griveaux or Agnès Buzyn since June, but has exchanged and even met the mayor (PS) of Paris Anne Hidalgo on several occasions in recent months.
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Does the former LREM deputy who now considers himself outside the presidential majority imagine a Parisian future alongside the potential left-wing candidate in the presidential election? “My only horizon is that of 2020 and I have major missions there”, he assures us, recalling in passing that he was re-elected this fall President of the parliamentary office for the evaluation of scientific and technological choices and that ‘he is working on the vaccine strategy for the coming months. For the rest, the mathematician assures him: “I have no partisan logic”
Cédric Villani chaired Anne Hidalgo’s support committee during the 2014 municipal elections, so why not a new role alongside him in the years to come?
Original article by : www.leparisien.fr
