Paris' mayor Anne Hidalgo delivers a speech during the inauguration of the Austerlitz wastewater and rainwater storage basin, which is intended, among other things, to make the Seine swimmable during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on May 2, 2024. Photo by Antonin UTZ / AFP
Paris: The Socialist mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, acclaimed by supporters for squeezing traffic in the city centre but accused by opponents of failing to get to grips with day-to-day problems in the French capital, said in an interview published Tuesday she would not seek a new term in 2026 elections.
Hidalgo, who has been at the reins in city hall since 2014 as Paris's first woman mayor, told the Le Monde daily: "I will not run for a third term. It is a decision I made a long time ago."
"I have always believed that two terms are enough to bring about profound changes," added Hidalgo, 65, who won a second term in 2020 elections.
She backed fellow Socialist Remi Feraud, a senator, to succeed her, saying he "has the necessary solidity, seriousness and capacity to rally" people together to become mayor.
'Clear improvement'
In 2026, the Socialists are likely to face a challenge for city hall from right-wing Culture Minister Rachida Dati who for the last years has been an implacable critic of Hidalgo in one of the most bitter rivalries in French politics.
Former deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire, who has icy relations with Hidalgo despite sharing the same political home, has also expressed his intention to stand.
In a crowded field, another name being cited from the centre is former prime minister Gabriel Attal.
Hidalgo in the interview ruled out any further crack at the presidency, after her 2022 campaign saw her record a humiliatingly low score of 1.74 percent.
During her stint in office, Hidalgo has increased cycle lanes in Paris at the expense of cars and also organised referendums that resulted in the banning of rental e-scooters and the tripling of parking fees for SUVs.
She also presided over this year's summer Olympic and Paralympic Games which were seen as an immense success proudly showcasing the city.
But critics accuse her of merely shifting traffic and causing even heavier concentrations of cars elsewhere with bike schemes while also allowing security, cleanliness and public transport to deteriorate.
A viral social media hashtag #SaccageParis (Trashed Paris) which encouraged residents to expose how ugly Paris has become has now become a movement with its own website denouncing conditions in the city.
But her interview with Le Monde, Hidalgo insisted there had been a "clear improvement" in security while acknowledging the city still had "some extremely tough areas", especially in the northern 19th district plagued by crack dealing and addiction.
Things are also improving on cleanliness but the city needed to put out "more rubbish bins" in busy areas, she added.
