Paris (AFP)
François Sauvadet (UDI) was elected Tuesday president of the Departments of France (ADF) following the departmental elections, announcing his ambition to "give back all their place to the departments".
At 68, the president of the departmental council of Côte d'Or unsurprisingly succeeds Dominique Bussereau, who had not represented himself as president of Charente-Maritime.
He was elected for the 2021-28 term during the association's general assembly, which brings together the presidents of 95 departments and seven local authorities with departmental competences.
After a vote marked by a historic abstention in June, the right has strengthened its majority in the departments, controlling 72 after taking two from the left.
François Sauvadet affirmed his ambition to "give back their place to the Departments, because we are in the hearts of the French and local elected officials. The yellow vests crisis and the health crisis have shown it: we have been on the front line to respond to the social consequences of these crises and to come to the aid of our weakened fellow citizens, side by side with the mayors. We have compensated for the inadequacies of the responses of the State, in particular those of the ARS and the confusion of ministerial directives ", according to a press release of the ADF.
"The ministries should not take the Departments for territorial services responsible for implementing their directives," he also warned.
Inserted at the UDI, François Sauvadet has headed the Côte d'Or since 2008 after having been a journalist for the Public Good of Dijon, deputy and Minister of the Public Service under Nicolas Sarkozy between June 2011 and March 2012.
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