OWNin the wake of revelations about her spending reports and her (numerous) trips abroad – especially in recent weeks – Anne Hidalgo is facing new criticism. Mediapart revealed that this time it is related to the means used by the Mayor of Paris to travel. According to the site, Anne Hidalgo often uses business class when traveling by plane. In total, he has made about twenty trips abroad since the beginning of this year, to Mauritania, Morocco, Vietnam, Belgium and the United States.
The Paris mayor’s entourage defended the choice for security reasons. He can also take advantage of the remaining seats offered on long-haul flights, as business leaders do. However, the safety explanation does not match city hall’s commitment to savings, particularly in hotel selection. Furthermore, in 2017, in a previous mandate, ethics officers at Paris city hall confirmed that Anne Hidalgo “did not travel first class.”
But the Mayor of Paris is difficult to take responsibility for. He could travel as he pleased, or almost. In 2023, the mayor of the capital implemented a special rule: as in other cities, it is not the city council (here the Council of Paris) that gives the mayor the right to travel exclusively, after deliberation, but rather the first deputy.
Nearly 220,000 euros in travel costs
This one, Patrick Bloche, signs a special mandate before every trip. Apart from several of the mayor’s advisors, he was the only one who was informed of the contents of Anne Hidalgo’s trip and authorized them. They were then discussed before the Council of Paris. A posteriori, elected officials then know the duration and costs, the number of elected officials traveling with the mayor, etc.
On September 8, in a lengthy and detailed letter, Citizen Transparency expressed its concerns about this process, which appears to violate common law. The association, which a few months ago revealed the amount of representative Anne Hidalgo’s fees, has recorded 79 trips since the beginning of 2020, in France and abroad, for a total amount of 219,064.09 euros, including 97% of these envelopes destined for trips outside the borders.
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In this letter, it is The main thing is has been obtained, Citizen Transparency asked Paris city hall to explain the legal basis on which to validate the trip. “We were surprised to see that none of these 79 (trips) had permission from the city council (…) The fact that you did not ask for a specific mandate creates legal difficulties,” said Guillaume Leroy, president of the association.
READ ALSO “She loved to be flattered”: who was Jeanne d’Hauteserre, the “well-dressed” 8th mayor? Before the warning: “Let us remember that the apparent illegality of travel costs may result in an administrative tribunal requesting reimbursement of the amounts unfairly borne by the City of Paris. » A way to create a threat of complaint. Two months after sending the letter, he received no response.
