Mayor

Most people are happy with their French mayor, new poll shows

It comes as mayors themselves say their job is getting tougher

The French mayor who comes to your home for drinks and debate

Why the mayor of a small French town wants residents to invite him for an ‘apéro’

French mayor arrested for corruption after clairvoyant tricked him

In the bizarre case, the mayor said he believed the woman was ‘gifted with supernatural powers’

news

VIDEO: French mayor frees fox whose head was stuck in pipe

The mayor came across the animal during a visit to the city’s old fortifications

Retired, working, artisan; who are France’s 34,900 mayors?

We look at what the data says about these elected officials in each commune

Mayors push for a new local tax in France

It would be a ‘residential tax’ controlled by local authorities

From fox cubs to singing mayors: Five good news stories from France

Our pick of feel-good stories this week

Plan revealed to protect mayors in France from violence and threats

Following high profile attacks on elected officials’ homes, one ex-mayor shares what he thinks must change

This is why sirens were heard across France at noon on Monday

They are normally tested on the first Wednesday of each month, but today was exceptional

Mayor’s hunger strike to protest lack of help for disabled in France

Georgio Loiseau wants to draw attention to the plight of his autistic son and others like him across the country

Hundreds of French mayors quit due to ‘Covid and increased workload’

Violence towards elected officials and the abolition of local taxes are also cited

French mayor formally probed over alleged erotic videotape blackmail

The video allegedly shows the mayor’s ex-deputy receiving an erotic massage from a male escort

Leave mairies alone: their role is fundamental to democracy in France

Nick Inman argues that taking responsibility away from the commune and passing it higher up the food chain risks alienating voters

One in five French mayors considering local tax rises in 2023

Rising costs may also result in spending cuts concerning street lighting, heating in public buildings and highway maintenance, a new study has suggested

French mayor collects fly-tipped waste and dumps it at culprits’ house

The mayor is latest of several to use radical measures to combat growing litter problems in their communes

French mayors impose stricter rules for pesticides on farms

Ten communes have introduced new local regulations against pesticide use

Rural mayors raise alarm over French medical deserts

A study has shown that the number of administrative districts without a doctor in France rose by 62% between 2010-17

Local anti-pesticide laws not allowed in France

The Conseil d’Etat has said mayors do not have the authority to ban the use of the chemicals in their communes

French mayor cuts family benefits to stop delinquency

The mayor of Valence has stopped access to benefits for some families in response to violent protests in November

North Paris mayors call for restaurants to open immediately

The nine mayors have said that 50% of establishments risk shutting for good due to the government’s decision to keep restaurants in France closed until January

Must I inform the mairie when I buy a home in France?

We explain whether registering at the mairie is a legal obligation, or just a good idea, when you move into a new commune in France

Bordeaux: Mayor cancels Christmas trees in city

The ecologically-minded mayor will not decorate Bordeaux with “dead trees” this festive season, he has said, claiming they go against his “concept of re-vegetation” for the city.

Parking charges in Bordeaux may be means-tested

Bordeaux may soon charge residents for city parking based on their annual household income, in a move being dubbed “social and supportive” by the newly-elected mayoral team.

Montpellier makes public transport free at weekends

The measure has been in place since September 5 on the city's buses and trams, and was brought in by the mayor of the city to reduce pollution.

Marseille mayor welcomes Banksy rescue boat refugees

The MV Louise Michele ship was carrying over 250 refugees rescued from the Mediterranean Sea, and had been refused the right to dock in other European countries. The deputy mayor of Marseille has said the city will open its doors to those who were on board.

French department on ‘high alert’ after spike in Covid cases

The department of Mayenne in northwest France (Pays de la Loire) is now on “high vulnerability” alert after new cases of Covid-19 were reported, with local authorities calling for masks to be mandatory in public as soon as possible.

Marseille elects its first ever female mayor

Marseille has elected its first female mayor, Michèle Rubirola, who is also the first left-wing and green-focused leader the city has had in 25 years. Already, she has called for “a greener city” and an “end to nepotism”.

Bullfighting ban debated in south of France mayor race

A minority of municipal election candidates in the south of France have called for a ban on bullfighting, as anti-bullfighting groups step up the pressure on politicians to take a stand on the issue.

Paris mayor candidate’s sex video: is it a big deal?

Following the resignation of Benjamin Griveaux, should the media respect politicians’ private and domestic privacy? Or do the public have a right to know every dodgy detail?

Paris mayor hopeful calls for new armed police force

New Paris mayor candidate Agnes Buzyn has said she would like to see a new force of armed municipal police in the capital, to address neighbourhood problems.

Why France has a new health minister

France’s former health minister Agnès Buzyn has been replaced by MP and doctor Olivier Véran, after Ms Buzyn joined the race for Paris mayor in the wake of the Benjamin Griveaux scandal.

French village uses dark humour signs to stop speeding

A mayor in the north of France has installed some darkly comedic additions to the usual speed limit signs on a major road in his commune, to warn speeding drivers to slow down.

French mayor ‘returns’ 10 tonnes of illegal waste

A man in northern France who illegally dumped 10 tonnes of rubbish in a local field has had the items returned by the mayor less than 48 hours later.

French eco group calls to ‘cancel’ crop spread rule

A French environmental association is calling for the cancellation of the government’s recent decree to set a minimum buffer zone of 5-20 metres between pesticide spreading and inhabited buildings.

French court allows mayor pesticide ban for first time

A French court has rejected a request from departmental authorities to cancel two mayoral anti-pesticide decrees for the first time.

French charity gifted €1,800 in Mont-Blanc rower drama

A French war veterans’ charity is to receive a €1,800 donation from a British charity, in a bid to make amends for the former British Commando who left a rowing machine on Mont-Blanc in September.

Paris mayor: ‘Police violence makes protest difficult’

The mayor of Paris has said that it is “becoming difficult to protest” in Paris and has condemned the police violence that was seen during protests against climate change and pension reform last weekend.

French mayor admits bread and water lunch ‘awkward’

A mayor in France has admitted that his much-criticised decision to give only bread and water to two school children, whose parents had not paid their school canteen bills for a year, was “awkward”.

Group calls for “1,000 village cafés” to revive France

A social and environmental enterprise is calling on 32,000 communes across France to create or re-open 1,000 rural “village cafés”, in a bid to revive the sense of community in small towns.

France debates mandatory 5-10 metre pesticide distance

The French government is considering introducing a mandatory distance of 5-10 metres between fields treated with pesticides, and homes - but some critics say this will not go far enough to improve health.

British Mont-Blanc climber sparks French mayor’s anger

A British climber who abandoned his rowing machine on the Mont-Blanc mountain in France during a charity summit attempt has prompted a local mayor to call for harsher sanctions on “wacky” climbers.

French mayor killed would deny claims he is a hero

Editorial by Patrice Maggio, deputy editor of the Nice-Matin, Var-Matin newspapers, where the article first appeared in French. He is writing about mayor Jean Michel, who died after being run over by a van driver he had reprimanded for dumping rubble illegally

French mayor’s death exposes a rise in public threats

Intimidation and attacks faced by elected officials are to be investigated by senators after a mayor was killed trying to stop illegal waste dumping.

French mayor’s pesticide ban overturned in court

A French mayor who banned the use of pesticides near buildings in his commune has been forced to overturn the ban by a court in Rennes.

Court to rule on French mayor pesticide ban next week

A court decision over whether to force a French mayor to overturn his ban of the use of pesticides near local residents’ homes has been postponed to next week.

French mayor bans pesticide use near to housing

A French mayor in Brittany has banned the use of pesticides within a certain distance of human housing, in a bid to protect inhabitants and the environment.

French mayor to face court after banning pesticides

A mayor in Brittany is to face court after banning the use of pesticides and herbicides near housing in his commune, with authorities demanding that he reverse his decision.

French have ‘good opinion’ of local mayors, poll shows

Most French people have “a good opinion” of their local mayor, even as confidence in MPs and politicians in general is low, a new survey has found.

French mayor hits back at ‘bee pollen’ complaints

A French mayor is the latest to become exasperated over complaints by new residents to the countryside, after receiving reports of “too much bee pollen”.

French town's glyphosate ban for farmers 'illegal'

But mayor insists she will not withdraw local decree outlawing use of controversial herbicide

Paris aims to be ‘plastic free’ by 2024 Olympic Games

The city of Paris is aiming to be “plastic free” by the 2024 Olympic Games, as part of a wider ecological pledge, mayor Anne Hidalgo has said, in a bid to “accelerate the ecological transition” of the capital.

The French village where everyone is maire

Vandoncourt has been called “the village with 600 mayors”... only now there are more like 800 of them.

Paris to build new ‘largest garden’ by 2024 olympics.

The “largest garden in Paris”, including new pedestrianised and landscaped zones, is expected to open between the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero by year 2024

French town bans animal circuses after Facebook poll

Mayor put question to residents via social media

Villagers vote on early-morning church bells

Mayor puts matter to a vote following complaint

Paris mayor to allow 16-year-olds to vote in poll test

Anne Hidalgo is to allow a group of Parisians aged 16 and over to “vote” in the next European elections, as part of an experiment to test if the overall voting age could be reduced.

Van driver fined €368 for littering on French road

A driver on a French road has been required to pay €368 after being caught on film throwing fast food packaging out of his van window.

French town installs ‘shock’ school warning road signs

A French town in the Saône-et-Loire (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) has installed “shock sign” speed reminders on one of its most dangerous roads, in a bid to encourage drivers to slow down and pay attention.

Bordeaux mayor Juppé quits

Politician will join the French Constitutional Council

French villages and Airbnb work to boost rural tourism

Some 17,000 smaller communes in France 'had at least one property advertised on rental website last year'

Macron answers queries in seven-hour first Grand Débat

The national “ Grand Débat ” has launched after French President Emmanuel Macron responded to questions from mayors for almost seven hours last night (Tuesday January 16).

Paris makes travel free for kids and disabled youth

Children will be allowed to travel free on Paris public transport from September 1 this year, the capital’s Mairie has confirmed, in measures that will also help young disabled people and secondary students.

French mayor returns Christmas rubbish to owners

A mayor in Brittany has become the latest official to send an illegally-dumped pile of rubbish back to its owner.

We must protect endangered rural mayors

Small-town maires have launched a charm offensive to highlight their work and fight back against what they see as efforts to force them out of office permanently.

No congestion charges in France

Plans for urban congestion tolls removed from draft transport law following opposition from major cities and the risk of further gilets jaunes' protests

New app for reporting issues in Paris sparks criticism

A new smartphone app from the Mairie of Paris is enabling residents to report problems around the city, despite criticism that it is encouraging “denunciation” behaviour.

Government fights France’s growing fly-tipping problem

A government group has been created to tackle the growing issue of fly-tipping in France, which sees people dumping over 80,000 tonnes of excess waste into nature every year.

Dunkirk is Europe’s first big city to offer free buses

Dunkirk (Nord, ‎Hauts-de-France) has become the first European city with over 200,000 inhabitants to offer free bus transport for all, seven days a week.

Complaint after château trees pruned into penis shapes

The mayor of a commune in the Drôme (‎Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) has lodged a formal complaint after some mystery visitors cut four trees in front of the Château d’Hauterives into penis shapes.

What are a mayor’s ‘police powers’?

In a recent edition you mention the ‘police powers’ of a mayor. What does this refer to? P.W.

Mayors quit as many have responsibility but no power

Up to 30 mayors in France are resigning before the end of their mandate with many citing the transfer of their powers to the communauté de communes plus cuts in government grants.

Tourists demand end to 'noisy' French cicadas

Holidaymakers in the Var have written to the local commune mayor to complain about the noise from nearby cicadas, even asking him to consider insecticides to “get rid” of the insects.

French gîte renters demand time change for church bell

Parisian renters of a vicarage gîte in Occitanie have asked the local church to change the time of its usual morning bells, because they do not want to be woken up at 7h on holiday.

Mosquitoes banned from town in rural France

Mayor issues decree to outlaw insects following complaints from residents - but also takes more practical measures...

Airbnb and Century 21 sign sublet agreement in Paris

Homeowners and renters in Paris and beyond look set to profit from a new subletting partnership trial signed between home-sharing website Airbnb and estate agent Century 21.