Rachida Dati's Paris Mayoral Ambition: A High-Stakes Political Battle
In a dramatic turn of events, Rachida Dati, France's culture minister, is set to go on trial in September, accused of lobbying for the Renault-Nissan group during her tenure in the European parliament. This legal challenge casts a shadow over her campaign to become the next mayor of Paris, a position she aims to wrest from the left after 25 years of their governance.
A Polarising Figure in French Politics
Dati, a 60-year-old candidate for the rightwing Les Républicains, has redefined political celebrity in France as the first woman of north African and Muslim heritage to hold a major government post. She promises to bring back authority to the French capital, advocating for a law and order drive that includes arming municipal police with guns. Her opponents, however, label her a dangerous rightwinger, warning that her victory could turn Paris into a Trumpist laboratory.
The upcoming mayoral election in March is shaping up as a critical policy battle for one of Europe's most densely populated cities. Paris is grappling with a severe housing crisis and the escalating impacts of climate breakdown, including scorching summer temperatures. Dati's platform focuses on increasing policing and CCTV surveillance, altering social housing criteria to favour local workers, reducing city debt, and fully privatising bin collection—a move she claims will free up employees for street sweeping duties.
Environmental and Social Policy Promises
Despite accusations from the left that she seeks to undo green initiatives, Dati has pledged not to reverse the transformation of a traffic-clogged dual carriageway into a car-free pedestrian walkway along the Seine. Instead, she plans to renovate these pedestrian spaces and work on creating more green areas to tackle extreme heat and flood risks. Her campaign resonates with some voters, like Sophie, a 55-year-old former marketing manager, who praises Dati's self-made success story and commitment to cleaning up the streets.
With longtime mayor Anne Hidalgo of the Socialist party not seeking a third term, fears over Dati's candidacy have united Socialists, Greens, and Communists from the first round. Their candidate, Emmanuel Grégoire, a deputy mayor and Paris Socialist MP, vows to increase social housing and defend the left's environmental legacy, including efforts to lower air pollution and expand cycle lanes by 112 miles (180km). The election is further complicated by a scandal involving child sexual abuse allegations in nursery and primary schools, putting pressure on the city's vetting of school monitors.
Personal Challenges and Electoral Dynamics
Dati's personal challenges are significant, as she faces a trial for alleged corruption and abuse of power, charges she denies. Analysts describe the election result as too close to call, noting her extraordinary ability to connect with voters due to her compelling personal narrative. Growing up as the second of eleven children on a low-income housing estate in Burgundy, Dati emphasises her firsthand understanding of social issues, contrasting herself with other candidates who discuss social housing without having lived it.
Her political career includes serving as justice minister under Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, a role she says broke a cast-iron glass ceiling. However, she faces competition from smaller candidates who could fragment her vote. Sarah Knafo of the far-right Reconquest party aims to make gains in wealthy western areas, while Pierre-Yves Bournazel, a centrist candidate and former communications adviser for Dati, polls in third place, criticising her as inebriated with narcissism.
Public Opinion and National Implications
Vincent Thibault, director of opinion at Elabe, highlights that while Dati is better known than her rivals, she divides opinion more sharply, with 56% of Parisians holding a negative view compared to 42% positive. Having served as local district mayor of the wealthy 7th arrondissement for 18 years, Dati failed in the 2020 mayoral race, but a recent voting system change could boost her chances this time.
National politics may influence the Paris vote, with Grégoire's united left also challenged by Sophia Chikirou of the radical left La France Insoumise. As voters like Nadia, a 60-year-old tax law professor, express fatigue with the left's long rule, the election underscores a broader desire for change in a city struggling with issues from tourist rentals hollowing out neighbourhoods to rising living costs.
