Status of local elected officials: a welcome cuddle therapy but one that is far from solving everything

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There is a persistent paradox here. Mayors are, in our Republic, the elected officials most highly regarded by the French, but they are also those who suffer the most and who are therefore most tempted to throw in the towel. Especially in rural communities, where this commitment borders on priesthood. More than 2,000 have thus given up between July 2020 and March 2025 , a warning signal.

To respond to this malaise which has only worsened in recent years, to the resulting crisis of vocation, but also to the need to diversify the profile of those who take charge of the destiny of our municipalities, a bill, already voted on in the Senate at first reading, is being examined these days in the National Assembly before returning to the Luxembourg Palace at the end of September. If certain points are the o