Municipal in Lille: Aubry "postpones" his decision of "a few weeks"

Lille (AFP)

PS Mayor of Lille Martine Aubry, who was to announce "end of September" whether or not she is seeking a fourth term in 2020, "postpone" this announcement "a few weeks" because of a "very busy back", has t she said Monday.

When will Lille know if their mayor is a candidate? "They will know soon," smiled Martine Aubry, interviewed at a press conference that drew up a municipal record in the field of ecology.

"This school year is very, very busy ... I thought I would speak before the end of September but (...) I decided to postpone a little bit, for a few weeks, like most of the mayors of the big cities" , she said.

"The city needs to be managed until the end (...) until March, I am mayor of Lille," said Ms. Aubry.

Reduction of the speed to 30 km / h, revegetation, green energies, "zero plastic" approach in schools, creation of "five hectares" of gardens by the acquisition of sites belonging in particular to La Poste or SNCF ... For over an hour, Martine Aubry presented the major commitments that earned Lille its place as a finalist of the "European Green Capital" award and thus defended its "green" record.

"Lille is one of the three finalists and (...) the jury's conclusions pleased us" since it "recognized our efforts to combine social justice and ecological transition", welcomed the city council, wishing now " to go even faster and higher ".

Will ecology be at the center of the next municipal program, whether or not Ms. Aubry is a candidate? "The social and the ecological, I link the two," replied the elected, adding later: "a sustainable society is a society that deals with both social inequalities and the relationship of man with its environment".

Regarding the controversial project of redevelopment of the wasteland of Saint-Sauveur, against which associations for the defense of the environment have filed several appeals, "there will still be changes," said Martine Aubry, not wishing "not discuss for the moment not to be in the debate of the future election ".

"We are in moratorium today because we still do not have the judgment at the bottom of the administrative court." We continue to think and work, "she said, wishing to find" the right balance between the nature and men "and take the time to" rediscuss with everyone ".

© 2019 AFP