“The only thing I have in common with Barack Obama is that we’re both left-handed,” quips the Karim Bouamran to Nadjet Cherigui of “Le Figaro” when she asks him for a comment on “Obama from the Seine”.
Karim Bouamrane born in 1973 to Moroccan immigrant parents in Franceis fast becoming one of the most talked about figures in French politics.
The socialist mayor of the Paris suburb of Saint-Ouenis steadily gaining ground with his name being heard more and more often as one of the favorites for the French prime ministership.
Karim Bouamran, the next French prime minister?
Who is the next prime minister of France? The equation was and remains difficult with Emmanuel Macron being “squeezed” and the need for a name imperative.
Although Karim Bouamran does not hide his political ambitions, he currently expresses his support for Lucie Castet, the candidate proposed by the Popular Front (winner of the parliamentary elections in France for the country’s prime minister).
With his statements in “La Voix du Nord” he favored a “total compromise” to avoid institutional instability.
«I am a socialist, I supported the New Popular Front and therefore I support Lucie Caste“, he mentions and adds “the future government must be representative of the weight of every democratic formation”.
As for the recent media speculation about his own possible candidacy, Karim Bouamran answers in the negative without of course “closing the door” for good.
The answer and the open possibility
“There is no problem. I have no personal ambitions and the Elysee Palace has not been offered anything to me.
If ever the President of the Republic did me the honor of offering me MatignonI would turn to my political family, because you cannot accept this position without having the momentum to build a path to the necessary measures in favor of low wages, public services, health, housing and safety.”
In “Le Figaro”, for which Karim Bouamran is “the face of the other left”, he states: “I’m not getting involved in this fight about who should be prime minister».
Of one thing he is certain: he or she who will become prime minister must be left-wing, but also above all able to achieve consensus.
Bouamran’s path began in the working-class district of Saint-Ouen, where his illiterate father worked as a bricklayer to support his siblings back home.
Child of immigrants
As the New York Times reports, Bouamran belonged to a close circle, all children of migrant workers, who spent their Saturdays together in the library, devouring classic books, newspapers, movies and music.
“One thing Kareem taught us is that no one will determine our future. We will do it,” said his childhood friend, Madjid Aggar.
After completing a master’s degree in economics and European law, Bouamran ventured into the emerging field of cybersecurity.
This profession offered him years of travel, especially in the United States, where he practiced his English and broadened his worldview. It was also, he said, “the first country in which I felt that I was respected for my qualifications.”
In 1995, his political career took off when he was elected to the municipal council of Saint-Ouen.
Initially affiliated with the Communist Party, he later joined the Socialist Party, where he eventually became a representative.
The winner (and) of the Olympic Games
His leadership skills were particularly evident during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, earning praise from leading French media for successfully managing the hosting of Brazilian athletes in Saint-Ouen.
Since becoming mayor he has attracted companies, including Tesla, to open offices in St.-Ouenwhich, through the additional taxes paid, helped fund new primary schools.
A few French colleges have been persuaded to open campuses in the area, while Franco-American basketball superstar Tony Parker has agreed to open a sports school.
“It was love at first sight – for his vision, his passion and what he wants to achieve in his city,” Parker said of the Bouamran deal.
Banker Matthieu Pigasse and former Macron minister Clement Beaune have also praised Bouamran’s ability to revitalize Saint-Ouen with his diplomatic skills and appeal.
«I want it to be the future of the French left, of the social democratsPigasse said.
“He was born with character and confidence,” confided one of his childhood friends, Ahcen Goulmane.
For Karim Bouamran, children are at the core of his political program which he calls “the democratization of excellence”.
So that they canto become the architects and not the passive victims of their lives».
Just like him.
With information from Le Monde, New York Times, moroccoworldnews, La Voix Du Nord, Liberation
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