Nancy (AFP)

Anne Hidalgo, socialist candidate for the presidential election, said on Wednesday "very happy to bring back to the heart of the debate" the theme of school and teachers' salaries, during a trip to Nancy.

Coming to a Nancy bookstore to sign her book, "Une femme française" (Editions de L'Observatoire) published on Wednesday, in which she recalls her career and unveils her priorities for the electoral campaign, the mayor of Paris judged in front of the press "very interesting to see that from what I wrote in my book, all of a sudden the debate turns around the school and how we consider, how we value the school and those who support it, that is, the teachers, ”she explained.

In her book, she considers "possible" to "multiply by at least two the salary of all the people in contact with the pupils" in a quinquennium "or, to begin with, to align at least the salary of the new professors on the median salary of the pupils. holders of a bac +5 ".

"I am very happy to bring back into the political debate a subject that we have tried to pass by profit and loss. I do not want to pass school by profit and loss", she said, alongside the Mayor of Nancy Mathieu Klein, who will pilot his campaign project.

According to Ms. Hidalgo, "if we make it a political priority, therefore budgetary", its revaluation measure "is playable".

"There are several scenarios which do not cost more than the elimination of the wealth tax," she added, adding that she was going to work "with the civil service unions and the teaching. Do not count on me to provide a salary grid today, but the way exists ".

In the bookstore Hall of the Book, she had previously presented her work in front of several dozen people.

A book "to tell a little about yourself, to say who we are, what shaped you", explained this Spanish immigrant who arrived in France at the age of 2, and who took French nationality at the age of 14.

The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and the mayor of Nancy Mathieu Klein, at the Hall du Livre bookstore, September 15, 2021 in Nancy PATRICK HERTZOG AFP

"We are always more complex than what we imagine of us. It's very difficult to try to get out of the labels and the shackles," she said.

She then dedicated her book to around a hundred people.

"Thank you for your courage, we will all be behind you," Nicolas, a socialist activist from Nancy, told him.

Another reader, Véronique, said she was "very sensitive" to her speech "on education and on the identity assignment" of women and judged that there was "a left to be rebuilt".

"Our ideas do not die and our responses are more adapted to the current situation, so we do not let go," replied Anne Hidalgo.

Hélène Dousse, 50-year-old math teacher in Nancy, thanked her: "It's your proposal (on salaries), it makes people talk. I earn 2,200 net per month after 20 years of teaching" , she explained.

She had the book dedicated to her daughter, Constance, 16, who "wants to be President of the Republic".

"Is it true? I'm going to take her on an internship then", smiled Anne Hidalgo.

© 2021 AFP