2023-10-06 09:02:44
Anne Hidalgo participates in the senatorial elections at Paris city hall, September 24, 2023. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
Renaissance attacks a totem. Deputies from the presidential party are working on drafting a text aimed at modifying the famous law known as “PLM” (for Paris, Lyon, Marseille). Adopted in 1982, it established a specific voting method for the three main cities of France: organized by sectors (which do not always coincide with the districts, but which are headed by a mayor), it designates elected officials, some of whom sit in two councils (local and municipal, where the mayor of the city is elected). The deputies want to apply the same system as everywhere in France.
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The recurring debate is accelerating. First, because the Macronist parliamentarians want to submit their bill before the end of the year, for adoption in 2024. Then, because Rachida Dati, mayor (Les Républicains, LR) of the 7th arrondissement of Paris and principal opponent of the socialist Anne Hidalgo, posted an enigmatic tweet, October 3: she claims to have spoken with the President of the Republic “with a view to the repeal of the #PLM law”. Requested by The worldshe does not wish to say more.
In the same text, she indicates that“in order to respond to a democratic issue, Parisians must directly choose their mayor”. This is the same argument that the elected representatives of Renaissance are developing. The voting method is “archaic and indefensiblejudge the Paris deputy David Amiel, since the voice of a citizen does not carry the same weight depending on the district where he lives”. With his counterparts, he defends the principle: “one Parisian, one vote. » The idea, explains Paris MP Benjamin Haddad: “Two ballot boxes on election day, one for the list of the district mayor, the other for that of the mayor of Paris. » Thus, he continues, “the opposition districts do not [pourraient plus] be ignored in the governance of Paris City Hall as is the case today.
Democratic paradoxes
In Marseille, for many observers, the current voting system favors electoral calculations, even territorial clientelism. From 1995 to 2020, the mayor (LR) Jean-Claude Gaudin was thus accused by his opponents of favoring the equipment of four sectors which, vote after vote, gave him his majority.
The voting method has already led to democratic paradoxes: in 1983, Jean-Claude Gaudin was beaten by Gaston Defferre, initiator of the division as Minister of the Interior, even though he had obtained more votes than the winner. In June 2020, Michèle Rubirola, candidate for Printemps Marseille, was 13,000 ballots ahead of her rival (LR) Martine Vassal, but had to ally herself with Samia Ghali (various left) to be elected mayor. At the time, Benoît Payan, who succeeded him six months later, saw the “PLM” law as a “democratic anomaly”.
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