The canton of Sevran-Villepinte will pit three winners of municipal elections against each other. Outgoing departmental councilor, the mayor of Villepinte Martine Valleton (LR) is a candidate for re-election in tandem with the elected Sevranais Philippe Geffroy (LR). She will be opposed to four pairs, including those of her counterpart from Sevran Stéphane Blanchet (DVG) and her predecessor Nelly Roland (DVG).
Elected from Seine-Saint-Denis since 2008 and narrowly renewed in 2015 (31 votes ahead in the second round), Martine Valleton is counting in particular on the local notoriety of her sidekick to stack up again. “Since the last municipal elections, it has been a must in Sevran”, underlines the mayor of Villepinte.
The two right-wing elected officials had however opposed six years ago, when nominating candidates for the departmental elections. “There may have been some hazards, but it’s a detail”, evacuates Philippe Geffroy.
In this campaign, the duo pleads to “clean up the finances of the Department, the most indebted in France” and to increase the share dedicated to investment. And wishes “to provide the municipalities which request it with aid in terms of security”, for example to finance municipal police.
“The department has an important role to play in city policy”
On the left, Stéphane Blanchet also evokes security, which is not, however, a competence of the departmental council. “Security is not just blue, it is a multifaceted object which also requires the assistance of the Department”, he insists, referring to the public services which, according to him, contribute to “public tranquility”.
“The Department has an important role to play in city policy, for example by helping associations which fight for the prevention of delinquency, abounds Mélissa Youssouf (EELV), the elected opposition representative in Villepinte who forms a ticket with the mayor of Sevran. We cannot leave young people behind. »
The opponents of Stéphane Blanchet do not fail to recall that he had made a commitment to devote himself to his municipal mandate. “Circumstances led him to change his mind”, justifies his entourage, who adds that he will be “much more present” at the departmental council than Martine Valleton.
Nelly Roland considers embodying “the real left”
Supported by the president of the Department Stéphane Troussel (PS), the Blanchet-Youssouf pair must deal with the candidacy of Nelly Roland, who is running alongside Abdelkader Arrahmane (DVG). “The real left is us,” says the one who was mayor of Villepinte between 2008 and 2014.
She wants proof of this by the fact that she came top of the three lists on the left during the municipal elections last year. “However, we act as if I did not exist,” laments Nelly Roland, ensuring that she has the support of the local section of the PCF and some of the environmental activists.