Paris (AFP)

Civil Service Minister Amélie de Montchalin announced on Wednesday the cancellation of the administrative fine of 90,000 euros imposed on the City of Paris for appointing too many women to management positions in 2018.

The minister said in a press release to AFP that she had announced to the socialist mayor "that this fine was not due" and encouraged her to "devote these funds to maintaining this positive dynamic", specifying that the State is fixed "the same objective".

Anne Hidalgo arrived around 8.15 a.m. at the headquarters of the ministry in Paris, accompanied by several women elected to the mayor of Paris, under the watchful eye of cameras and photographers, to discuss with the minister.

"We have taken positive note that these 90,000 euros are not requested from us," reacted the mayor of Paris after the meeting.

"So we are going to pay them to the Solidarités femmes federation which today manages the 39-19", the listening number intended for women victims of violence.

The mayor of Paris was fined in December 90,000 euros for appointing, in new jobs, 11 women against 5 men to positions of directors and deputy directors in 2018.

A rate of female appointments of 69% which violated the obligation, in force in 2018, to respect a minimum quota of 40% of members of each sex in order to ensure a balanced representation of women and men, explained the ministry. of the Civil Service at the time.

The announcement of the fine was greeted with amazement in France and was relayed by the international press.

Amélie de Montchalin had recognized that this measure was "absurd" and that the "cause of women deserves (is) better".

"The fine of 90,000 euros" was "under a device resulting from the Sauvadet law of 2012, which the government repealed by the law on the transformation of the civil service passed in June 2019", recalled the minister Wednesday.

"This repeal decision taken in 2017 was explained by the obviously absurd and counterproductive nature of this provision in terms of the fight against inequalities between women and men in administrations and local authorities".

© 2021 AFP