A day in the war against the prefect of the Grand Est virus

In Strasbourg

8 hours. Meet Josiane Chevalier in the lobby of Petit Broglie, the magnificent Kinglin hotel from the 18th century, with its pink sandstone facade. "The virus fills our entire agenda, from 8 am to midnight," she slips, at the dawn of this new day punctuated by meetings. On February 3, when she arrived in Strasbourg, coming from Corsica, this petite 62-year-old woman presented herself as "a demanding boss who likes to play collectively".

In two months, the prefect with three hats - Grand Est, eastern defense and security zone (which includes Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) and Bas-Rhin - "experienced three orange alerts, the derailment of a TGV, a fire with five dead in Strasbourg… and immediately the coronavirus! ” And hardly any time to go into the field. "It's the most frustrating," said the representative of the state, who started "cell phone diplomacy".

8 h 10. In room 2, the long oval table is reduced to four cells on each side, delimited by panels

This article is for subscribers only. You still have 88% to discover.

Subscribe: € 1 the first month

cancellable at any time

Already subscribed? Log in