Mohed Altrad says he is "totally disinterested" in his quest for the town hall

Before the second round of municipal elections on June 28, "20 Minutes" questions the candidates still in the running. In Montpellier, Mohed Altrad talks about his program and justifies his merger in the in-between rounds with lists

Mohed Altrad is a candidate for mayor of Montpellier. - A. Robert / Sipa

After the first round of municipal elections on March 15, there are three candidates for mayor of Montpellier: Philippe Saurel (DVG), Michaël Delafosse (PS) and Mohed Altrad (DIV).
Arrived in third position, with 13.30% of the votes cast, business manager Mohed Altrad attempted a poker game by joining forces with the two lists on the very left, led by Alenka Doulain and Clothilde Ollier, and that of the populist Rémi Gaillard (DIV).
“You have to recognize that there is a leader. I am the leader, ”explains the 31st French fortune, about this improbable alliance.

Mohed Altrad won the first part of his bet by inviting himself to the second round of the municipal elections in Montpellier. Third in the evening of March 15, he almost filled up the votes on the right (Alex Larue, official candidate of the LR, won only 3.83% of the vote). The 31st French professional fortune according to the magazine Challenges (it is estimated at 3.4 billion euros on July 3, 2019), attempted a poker gamble by incorporating in the second round about twenty candidates from three lists very left or even even "anti-system", battered, but able to merge.

Leader of this heterogeneous alloy, he will try to steal the seat of the diverse left mayor Philippe Saurel (19.11% of the votes) and to overtake the socialist Michaël Delafosse, at the head of a union list of the left (16 , 66% in the first round). The 72-year-old Syrian entrepreneur, president of MHR, the local rugby club, and of a multinational company that employs 42,000 people worldwide (but almost none in Montpellier), explains how he intends to govern for six years.

Your professional career is flamboyant. Why do you also want to be mayor of Montpellier?

I have a history with Montpellier. I arrived at the age of 17, I learned French here, I did an undergraduate here, at the science faculty of Montpellier. I went to Paris, to continue my studies. And I came back to Montpellier for my professional career. The Altrad group was born in 1985. Then I took over the rugby club, I got married, I had children, grandchildren. Everything I have done in my life, I have done in Montpellier. I have always had a form of debt. I told myself that I had to give something back to Montpellier. I thought politics was the best way to help as many people as possible. It is time.

You announced, if you are elected, that you would only serve one term. Why ?

I think that in six years, we can do a lot. I am not one of those who want power to be concentrated on one person. I like to share power, to delegate, to innovate. We can do things alone, but we can do even more with others.

This means that you could leave the town hall to Alenka Doulain (DVG), who joined you in between the two towers, as a rumor claims?

I will be mayor of Montpellier, I will be president of the metropolis. And I will be until the end of my mandate. Alenka will obviously have a role to play, like many others. There is no shortage of work.

Do you want to make Montpellier a springboard? Do you want other positions? A deputy, a minister?

Never say never ". But a priori, no. I want to end the loop that I have just described to you, it stops there. There are no other ambitions.

You mentioned the implementation of an economic recovery plan of 1.135 billion euros. Where does this money come from when the city's annual budget is 870 million euros?

Let's first talk about the 135 million euros. There are 100 million euros for the hospital, 10 million to double the subsidy of associations and 25 million which will constitute aid to homes, up to 1,000 euros. Because there is a lot of unemployment. We must help this population, so that they can have a little hope, a little resources.

Isn't this 1,000 euros paid to each household a measure to "buy" votes?

I don't buy voices. My speech is clear. I want to serve you. I will not take a car, I will not take a driver. I will drive my car. I will not take a salary. I will make a competition, every quarter, to award it to an innovative project. I know money, power, notoriety. I am totally disinterested. My only concern is to be of service.

In this plan, there remains a billion euros.

It must be cut into four slices of 250 million. First, the city and the metropolis will go into debt to help businesses. Then there is the money that the government has promised to restart the economy. And 250 million from Europe. This money is available. You just have to mount the files to get it. Finally, there are guaranteed loans for companies in difficulty who are unable to borrow. We will help them by posting a deposit.

City and metropolis would therefore participate directly in this plan to the tune of 250 million euros by going into debt. In return, will there be tax increases?

There will be no tax increase on the mandate.

Insecurity is a theme often singled out in Montpellier. What do you promise to the people of Montpellier?

Philippe Saurel [the outgoing mayor] had promised to improve security, it finally deteriorated. Montpellier is not a secure city. Just question the municipal police, they will tell you that they do not know their boss, that they do not have clear instructions, that they are not respected. We must define a mission, respect them, encourage them, support them.

Rémi Gaillard supports your list, one of his running mate has joined you. What did you promise him?

We will in particular find a large piece of land, where he will be able to complete his project [Rémi Gaillard has been carrying out a shelter project for animals on semi-freedom for several years].

Mohed Altrad is a candidate for mayor of Montpellier. - A. Robert / Sipa

This alliance, with Rémi Gaillard (DIV), Alenka Doulain (DVG) and Clothilde Ollier (ECO), can be described as improbable…

I am often classified on the right. But you know my story, I was born in the greatest poverty. According to the French definition of politics, I should rather be from the left, or from the far left. So life smiled on me, it's true. I wrote that I wanted to gather as widely as possible, except for the extremes. I am the one who will unite all these energies, young people, who have their place.

Aren't you afraid that this alliance will explode at the first spark?

I don't see why it would explode. It only explodes when there are conflicts of interest between beings. It must be recognized that there is a leader, I am the leader. But they will all have roles to play.

You refuse extremes. But Clothilde Ollier, CGT activist, is still marked on the far left.

Should we stigmatize her, not make her carry a project?

You explained that you were opposed to the industrial tribunal, for example. This may seem absurd to a union member.

It has been distorted, this industrial tribunal case. We were missing an element, which Emmanuel Macron added. There were many procedures in the industrial tribunal. And each employee could claim any amount. We had to rationalize this part, and make it a little more correct. The employee loses, because he spends lawyers' fees, the business too, the more time you spend. Since its reform, there is a ceiling that the employee can request from his company.

Have you discussed your potential differences with your allies? We can not imagine that it holds, if there was no flattening beforehand.

The flat, it is the economy, and the social. One does not go without the other. All share this idea.

Mohed Altrad is a candidate for mayor of Montpellier. - A. Robert / Sipa

A word on the former European deputy Virginie Rozière (Left radicals - LRDG). She was by your side in September, left you with a great deal of noise in December, and here she is again on your list (20th) according to alliances in June. By accepting it, is that not giving the impression that politics is a way of seeking interests rather than defending ideas?

To say that it does not exist is not true. Virginie, I don't know why she left. I don't know why she came back.

They say Montpellier is dirty. You mentioned the possibility of setting up an audit on this subject…

I do not understand why the city is not clean, when the money is spent. You have to do an audit, to find out if it is the specifications that do not match, if it is the subcontractors who are not doing their job. There is a need for rigor.

Does the Nicollin group have any concerns?

No. I have no problem with them.

Speaking of Nicollin, what is your position on building a new football stadium?

I think it has to be done, since it is private money. However, I don't understand why the current stadium [la Mosson] is not suitable. It is true that he has aged. But just because it has aged does not mean that it cannot be renovated. It may need to be renovated.

So your opinion is not clear on the new stadium?

I am not against. There are two options: leave the Mosson as it is, and renovate it, spend 20, 30 or 40 million euros, rather than 200 or 300 million for the construction of a new stadium. And the other is to make a deal with the Nicollin family, so that they finance [the new stadium] 100%.

You wanted to buy the stadium in which the MHR [the GGL stadium] plays. Do you plan to carry out this operation, if you are mayor?

No. I never wanted to buy this stadium. I wanted the metropolis to develop it, to make better use of it. Today, this stadium is used 24 days a year. I wanted there to be life around the stadium. There are not any.

With your company, do you have or will you have contracts with the city of Montpellier?

No None. And moreover, if I am elected mayor of Montpellier, I will leave my post as president of the rugby club. I will remain a shareholder. Philippe Saint-André can be president or Jessica Casanova [deputy director general of the club, in charge of finance and legal]. My son, too, who works in marketing.

Will you continue to manage your business, while being mayor of Montpellier and president of the metropolis?

You know, I don't run it, the business. I am here to define the main directions. I delegate a lot. You have to give way to personal initiatives, to people you trust.

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