At 100, the oldest elected representative in France does not stand for re-election

At 100, the oldest elected representative in France, a municipal councilor in Grands-Chézeaux, in Haute-Vienne (center), where he has been sitting for almost 75 years , has just decided not to stand for re-election in March.

Centenary since October 20, Louis Dauny "will leave office after 74 years and 11 months in the service of the town," confirmed this weekend to AFP his son Jean-Charles, also assistant to Grands-Chézeaux. "It's our compass," says deputy mayor André Hérault. "A figure, the memory of the town" , supports the town hall secretary Karine Fillaud. In Grands-Chézeaux, a village of 246 inhabitants in central France, there will be a "before" and an "after" the 2020 municipal elections.

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Elected for the first time in April 1945 , Louis Dauny has served 13 successive terms. The same year, in 1945, he married, had his first child and took over the family wool spinning mill, which closed in 1989. "In life, you have to know how to be reasonable in everything," said Mr. Dauny. “For me, as for the voters, it would not be reasonable to stand for re-election. Make way for young people! ”

Louis Dauny went regularly to the inhabitant, especially to isolated people "to listen to the citizens " , because "it is often from there that good ideas start," he says. Last December, he was still distributing the parcels in retirement homes to the "old" , younger than him. His assistant André Hérault says he was won over by "his vision of the future" . "Where young people were sometimes a little warm, he was always ready to get carried away with new projects," he said.

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The arrival of drinking water in the village, the municipal stadium inaugurated by the former coach of the French football team Michel Hidalgo, or the installation of a garage which he had guaranteed and which employs 25 people today: Louis Dauny left his mark on Grands-Chézeaux with his faith in these projects and his kindness. “A page in municipal history is turning. We are a bit confused, ” concludes Mr. Hérault.

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