Paris (AFP)
François Baroin will leave the presidency of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) and supports the LR mayor of Cannes David Lisnard to succeed him, the elected officials announced on Wednesday.
"After seven years of exceptional mobilization to consolidate the place of mayors in the Republic and oppose the setbacks of decentralization", the mayor LR of Troyes, president since 2014, "decided not to seek a new mandate", the AMF announced on Wednesday in a press release.
Outgoing vice-president of the AMF, David Lisnard is a candidate to succeed Mr. Baroin, "on proposal" from the latter, adds the association.
The socialist mayor of Issoudun (Indre) André Laignel, first deputy vice-president of the AMF, is a candidate for the same post, for the sake of "political parity".
"The AMF has made itself essential in the public debate by fighting to protect the free administration of municipalities, but the challenges are still numerous, as the state's desire to re-centralize remains strong", underlines the association.
The election will take place during the AMF congress in the week of November 16.
More than 34,000 mayors and inter-municipal presidents are now members.
David Lisnard, LR mayor of Cannes, in Paris on November 21, 2019 JOEL SAGET AFP / Archives
François Baroin has served two terms as AMF president.
The last had been extended for one year due to the health crisis, which should cost municipalities 6 billion euros in gross losses over the years 2020-2021-2022.
The mayor of Troyes also let it be known before the summer that he did not intend to run for president, to the chagrin of the leadership of LR who saw in him the candidate most able to bring together the right and the center in 2022.
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