In a packed house, Ligue 1 referee Antony Gautier, 42, was elected, this Friday, mayor of Bailleul, a town of 15,000 inhabitants located in the North, on the occasion of the municipal council of the installation of the new team.
Without label, this lecturer in mathematics, had won the municipal elections last Sunday with 50.3% of the votes in a triangular which opposed him to the environmentalist Joël Decat (22.4%) and the outgoing mayor Marc Deneuche ( 27.3%). "Girding this tricolor scarf around you brings a lot of emotions," he said to the Bailleulois. It is a great honor and a great responsibility! "
How did you feel last Sunday during the results?
ANTONY GAUTIER. Joy after a campaign that lasted longer than expected. Victory gives us a sign of support for a project that we have defended. My political commitment is simple. It is based solely on the objective of improving the daily lives of citizens.
What was the strongest emotion between refereeing your first match in the Champions League and your victory in the municipal election?
These are strong but quite diverse emotions. The only common point between the two events is to set a course and to keep it.
How long have you had an interest in politics?
I have always been interested in the citizen debate and how we can improve everyday life in a city. The 2002 presidential election acted on me like an electric shock ( Editor's note: Jacques Chirac's victory in the second round against Jean-Marie Le Pen ). One cannot suffer without deciding to act. It motivated me more to understand civic engagement and defend values and convictions. Today, my project is based on values and convictions on which I will never compromise.
Newsletter - Essential news
Every morning, the 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
You were deputy mayor delegate for sport, higher education and research at the town hall of Lille between 2014 and 2020…
In 2014, several people in Bailleul urged me to hire myself as the head of the list for the municipal elections, but I did not feel ready. My family and professional life did not allow me to get involved. Martine Aubry came to get me and offered to join her on the 2014-2020 mandate in Lille. It was a great experience that allowed me to manage a delegation at the head of 300 municipal agents, 20 million euros of operating budget and 50 million euros of investment over the entire mandate.
What will be your first commitments as mayor?
There are two. First I want to restore confidence to municipal officials and I will meet with them this Saturday morning. I want to put everything flat in a very simple speech where the elected representative does not have to replace the agents of the territorial public service who have real expertise to set up a political project. Secondly, I want to engage Bailleul in a real ecological transition! To be satisfied with what exists in terms of green spaces is to lack ecological ambition. So I made the commitment to create a large wooded park inside the city of 5,000 square meters.
What is the hardest part between sport and politics?
It's as complicated as each other. There are decisions to be made. When I am in the field, I have to make the decision immediately, while as an elected official, there is a longer period of reflection before making a decision.
Will you be able to reconcile arbitration and your new status as mayor?
Yes ! I am lucky as an L 1 referee to have availability and we are not appointed every day of the championship. But I also have a team around me made up of 24 municipal councilors. The strength of a municipal majority is also for the mayor to know how to surround himself with competent, dynamic and available people.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/S7UVDTX7DREC7DXVCZN6MEKGBY.jpg)
