On this fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, the mayors, who were still considered in 2015 as civil society alongside NGOs and businesses, seem to be in the best position to achieve the ecological and energy transition, ahead of the States . Just as on the front line since the start of the health crisis, local elected officials appear to be the most prepared to relaunch the economic machine and to act in terms of security.
In pole position: Anne Hidalgo and Christian Estrosi, mayors of Paris and Nice, are the first city councilors in whom the French trust to take these challenges head-on. This is what emerges from the exclusive IFOP study for La Tribune carried out among 1,004 French people between December 4 and 7. “The mayor is a benchmark actor for the French because he respects the political promise, namely to change things and transform them”, explains Frédéric Dabi, deputy director general of IFOP.
Anne Hidalgo in the lead on the climate
Not content with being in the lead among supporters of En Marche, young people and environmentalists, Anne Hidalgo also appears as the mayor in whom respondents have the most confidence (40%) to act in favor of climate, ahead of Christian Estrosi (36%). The mayor of Nice, on the other hand, is in front of the mayor of Paris when it comes to acting in the face of the health crisis (47% against 41%) and far ahead in terms of security (56% versus 36%). The two local elected officials, on the other hand, are neck and neck in terms of economic recovery: 42% for the first, 39% for the second.
“These multi-card mayors benefit from a notoriety effect, from the bonus for graduates and from their ability to act as checks and balances in the national political debate” decrypts Frédéric Dabi. “Christian Estrosi suffered terrible attacks when Anne Hidalgo, first on the climate, is also very high on the economy”, he adds.
In the rest of the ranking, there are two other socialist mayors, “whereas in the collective imagination, the left and the company are two worlds apart”, notes the delegate DG of FIFG. The mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, comes 2nd – on the left – on ecology and climate and third on the economy. She is closely followed by Johanna Rolland, mayor of Nantes – the most attractive city according to all rankings – and president of the association of elected representatives of urban France, which is full of CSP + on the climate as well as young people on the economy.
Michèle Rubirola (Marseille) at the back of the pack
“Neither known nor ultra-known,” said Frédéric Dabi, his predecessor at the head of the metropolises, Jean-Luc Moudenc, mayor of Toulouse, more or less satisfied a quarter of the French on each item. Like Christian Estrosi, but to a lesser extent, he whispers in the ear of President Emmanuel Macron and could have become a government minister Philippe or Castex. On the contrary, the head of state is wary of an Anne Hidalgo who is able to occupy the social-ecological space.
The new mayors of Lyon, Grégory Doucet, of Montpellier, Mickael Delafosse, and of Marseille, Michèle Rubirola, close the ranks, suffering from their lack of national notoriety. The patron saint of Marseille is even last on security, the economy and the climate. The delegate DG of the FIFG sees the expression “of doubts about his ability to govern in tandem with his first deputy Benoît Payan “.
