The Black Generation discusses its mayor, who is celebrating his 30th anniversary at the head of Cagnes-sur-Mer
This Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Louis Nègre celebrates his thirtieth anniversary as mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer. Elected in 1995, re-elected in 2001, 2008, 2014, and 2020, he is running again in 2026. The 78-year-old mayor has seen the birth and growth of a generation of Cagnes-sur-Mer residents. What do those who have known only Louis Nègre as mayor, or almost, remember?
Thomas was born in Cagnes 23 years ago. His first memory of Louis Nègre, even fleeting, dates back to 2009. He was 7 years old. It was at a party in Haut-de-Cagnes. "The mayor shook a lot of hands. But the first time I really spoke to him was at a ceremony for my baccalaureate. He told us he was proud of us because we represented the city." The young man, who moved to the capital to study logistics, remembers the mayor for "the creation of Polygone, which allowed me to go out in Cagnes, and the modernization of the seaside, which has become very pleasant for cycling."
"I was never able to practice my sport here, rugby."On the other hand, Thomas regrets "the lack of entertainment and cultural outings. Apart from the Renoir Museum, there are few or no exhibitions." Another drawback: "I was never able to practice my sport here, rugby ." Thomas has "always made fun of politics. There was Louis Nègre and no one else. It was reassuring, but at the same time it made me lose interest in politics."
Cloé is 18 years old. The young woman from Cagnes often visits "the Parc des Canebiers. But she finds that the old Parc de La Villette had more of a village feel. You're bound to run into someone you know there. " Cloé thinks that "the mayor has good plans to improve the city. The Sauvaigo stadium, for example, is a success."
Raoudha, 41, arrived in Cagnes at the age of 8. "My first memory of Louis Nègre was on November 11th, I was at the ceremony. He was a president to me. I then saw him again at Le Logis school. And recently at the inauguration of the Canebiers park." So Raoudha sees the mayor "more like a neighbor I've been seeing for years." "Here we have everything ," she says. "A conservatory, a cultural center, a stadium."
Nicolas, 43, met Louis Nègre "before he became mayor, on a neighborhood committee." "I think he's improved everyday life: the seaside, parks for children, security. I think he's generally attentive."
A little further on, Paul, 23, remembers very well the first time he met Louis Nègre. "I was in the second grade. I was eating in the cafeteria at the Jean-Giono school. I remember a mustachioed gentleman in a suit. He had that nice grandfather look about him." As he grew up, Paul ran into the mayor several times: "At the Renoir high school, then when I was handing out my voting card. He said to me: ' 'Bravo, now it's serious!' " For him, "Cagnes is a pleasant town: the banks of the Cagne, the Parc de la Méditerranée, the Canebiers, etc. But there are not enough places for young people to go out (pubs, bowling, ice rink)... There will soon be a pump track, which is a positive thing. We should also put outdoor sports bars near the beach like in Saint-Laurent." And he adds: "Some say the mayor is concreting the city, but it has to develop. The La Villette parking lot was nothing like a green lung." Paul says he "loves Haut-de-Cagnes. But there needs to be more life there outside of summer. To encourage the people of Cagnes to come up, the city could hold Christmas at the castle. It could be magical." Paul has been working for four years and still lives with his mother. "Because finding accommodation here is very complicated. The prices are too high."
Kaoutar, 43, has been a Cagnes resident by adoption since she was 12. "I first saw Louis Nègre in middle school. He was personable and approachable. He was there at every party." So what does she remember about his work? "He's a mayor who transformed the city with parks, a modern train station, and a vibrant seafront. But Cagnes is losing its charm: there are too many buildings and too much traffic."
Jérémy, 20, admits to having "never met the mayor. Maybe once, at the Bréguières middle school." The young man spends his free time at the new city stadium in the Parc des Canebiers. "The only thing missing here is work. I'm a kitchen assistant in Cannes, but I'd like to work in my town."
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