"Mostly French": Manuel Valls will resign from his mandate as Barcelona city councilor

“Whatever happens, my life is here,” Manuel Valls said from Barcelona in May 2019, while campaigning for municipal elections in the Catalan city.

Not so sure.

The former Prime Minister announced this Monday in the Spanish daily La Vanguardia that he will resign from his mandate of his mandate as mayor of Barcelona.

“I consider that for me, it is a cycle which is finished.

The 2018 project was very beautiful, but this stage of my life is over, ”he explains.

Saying “concerned about the situation in France”, he now intends to “live more between Barcelona and Paris”.

The former deputy for Essonne had yet definitively left French political life shortly after the election of Emmanuel Macron. At least that is what he suggested at that time.

"Candidate for nothing"

The turnaround of the one who calls himself in El Mundo “predominantly French” took place in small steps.

Since last fall, Manuel Valls has been increasingly present in Paris, where he notably participated in the rally in tribute to Samuel Paty, on October 18.

"He will leave Barcelona next spring," the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial predicted at the time.

In recent weeks, he has also scoured the media for the promotion of his book "Not a drop of French blood", published in early spring.

To read also "Candidate for nothing" but on all fronts: what is Manuel Valls playing?

His new statement could revive the game of speculation about his desires, although he has repeatedly assured not to be "a candidate for anything". But some suspect him of wanting to return to the political game or even run for a ministerial post in the event of a reshuffle.