Head of the LR list in the capital and re-elected in the first round of municipal elections on March 15 in his stronghold in the 7th arrondissement, Rachida Dati went on the offensive. The former Keeper of the Seals, at the Paris Council on Monday, intends to prove that the Parisian right is ready to fight against Anne Hidalgo (PS).
What do you expect from this Paris Council?
RACHIDA DATI. For weeks we have been calling for an action plan to clean up and secure the city, and a budget for traders, restaurateurs and cultural players. This refusal to answer worries us about the future of the city. Parisians should be aware that today's Paris is still confined, and that the next Paris with the methods of the outgoing team will be much worse: traffic jams, tensions and disorganized public space. We cannot hide this!
How do you judge the action of the mayor since confinement?
Three different deconfinement plans were announced in the press by the mayor of Paris, which demonstrates the lack of consistency! And the announcements made were never followed up. A reusable mask for each Parisian from the end of April: nothing! An immunity passport: nothing! Screening for the elderly: nothing! Screening of children: nothing and not recommended by the ARS!
And what did the Parisian right do?
From the start of confinement with my colleagues Geoffroy Boulard (17th century mayor), Jean-Pierre Lecoq (6th) and Jeanne d'Hautesserre (8th), we acted for Parisians by distributing masks, equipping schools, tracking people staying in senior residences, supporting traders, being alongside healthcare staff, pharmacists, promoting food deliveries, protecting women victims of violence, etc. We are currently working on the redevelopment of senior residences.
The situation was and is complicated to say the least…
I regret that the mayor of Paris did not use her power as president of the supervisory board of the AP-HP to launch a concrete aid plan for all of Paris' hard-hit hospitals.
Does the right still have a chance in Paris against LREM and Hidalgo?
The problem of the Parisian right for years is that it no longer had ambitions for Paris. As soon as there was no longer any credible alternative project, the left was able to prosper. Gradually, Parisians no longer voted by membership but often by default. Moreover, the legitimacy of the outgoing team is very weak with only 29% in the first round, a sign of significant disavowal. We can no longer accept to be spectators of a Paris degraded on all levels. Rather than accept the debate and respond to criticism, the left is victimized or tries to discredit all its opponents, whatever the political color.
Political Newsletter
Every day, political news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
Are you in favor of a single second round in June?
The government must decide the date of the election because it alone has all the necessary information. But one thing is certain: this election cannot be announced without ensuring that all those who want to vote can do so. We cannot organize an election by excluding a part of our compatriots: the elderly, frail or confined outside their usual home. Democracy cannot be reserved only for a few!
In Paris, did you find an agreement between Agnès Evren and Philippe Goujon in the 15th arrondissement?
Discussions have taken place. They must allow to leave united in the second round.
