The white smoke rose above Paris City Hall on Friday morning. After weeks of puzzle and heated discussions with the Greens until the last moment, Mayor (PS) Anne Hidalgo revealed her new executive team. Three new deputies, representing each of the parties in her majority, were elected with 86 votes in favor and 10 blank and null votes. The right, center, and Macronists refused to come and cast their ballots.
This reshuffle follows the senatorial election on September 24th, which cost the mayor three of her deputies. Ian Brossat (PC), who was previously in charge of housing and emergency accommodation, Colombe Brossel (PS) in charge of cleanliness, and Anne Souyris (EELV) in charge of health, left their respective delegations to comply with the non-cumulative mandates rule.
To replace them, Anne Hidalgo conducted a game of musical chairs while ensuring political balance. The mayor of Paris also took the opportunity to give her team a fresh start halfway through her term and bring new faces to the forefront. Three other elected officials were also appointed as delegated counselors by the mayor of Paris, bringing the total number within the executive to 39, instead of the previous 36.
The socialist Thomas Chevandier becomes deputy in charge of public construction, project monitoring, and coordination of work in public spaces. Elected in the 20th arrondissement since 2020, this 38-year-old lawyer is the mayor’s delegate in charge of housing and relations with landlords in that district.
A long-time activist within the PS party, he served as a substitute (from 2017 to 2021) for deputy George Pau-Langevin in the 20th arrondissement. Being close to Lamia El Aaraje, the head of the socialist federation in Paris, he was also the section secretary for the 20th arrondissement from 2015 to 2018 and from 2021 to 2022.
The ecologist Mélody Tonolli takes on the responsibility of urban policy. This 39-year-old new deputy has been elected in the 14th arrondissement since 2014. In charge of the culture of gender equality, fighting against discrimination, and nightlife since 2020, she already held the urban policy delegation in her district.
She was therefore the natural choice to take on this delegation at the central city hall. Mélody Tonolli is also a service manager for the social landlord “Toit et joie.”
Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj (PC) becomes deputy in charge of commerce, crafts, liberal professions, artistic trades, and fashion. The 49-year-old communist has been elected in the 12th arrondissement since 2008. He became a Paris councilor six years later.
As the president of the communist group from 2014 to 2023, he worked on the creation of the “Fabriqué à Paris” label, which has been rewarding around 400 objects per year since 2017. He has written a book on the subject. Passionate about sports, Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj notably distinguished himself during the 2022 Paris Cycling Championship.
Existing deputies also undergo changes in their delegations. This includes Jacques Baudrier, who gives up his position to Thomas Chevandier in order to take over the housing delegation and energy transition in construction. Ecologist Anne-Claire Boux, on the other hand, takes on public health, relations with the AP-HP (Paris Hospitals), and the fight against pollution and risk reduction.
Socialist Antoine Guillou (PS) is responsible for cleanliness of public spaces, waste sorting and reduction, sanitation, recycling, and reuse. Finally, Olivia Polski (PS) gives up the commerce delegation to take charge of human resources.
The new communist senator, Ian Brossat, replaces Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj as the president of the Communist and Citizen Group at the Paris Council. The former deputy in charge of housing had already held this position during the last Bertrand Delanoë mandate.
Three new counselors join the executive team. Johanne Kouassi, elected (PS) in the 13th arrondissement, is appointed as a delegated advisor to Emmanuel Grégoire in charge of local public services and relations with the districts.
Communist Barbara Gomes, elected in the 18th arrondissement, is responsible for rent control, local rental platforms, and tenant protection. She will work under the supervision of Jacques Baudrier. Finally, ecologist Léa Vasa is appointed as a delegated advisor in charge of canals, working alongside Dan Lert, the EELV councilor in charge of ecological transition.
The Greens expressed their “strategic disagreement” with this reshuffle until 8 am on Friday morning. “We wanted a redistribution of delegations to give the deputies the means to accelerate the implementation of our policies,” said Fatoumata Koné, the president of their group.
In the opposition, criticism has been aimed at an “excessive” executive team. “The mayor gives positions to everyone, and the number of members within the executive is approaching that of 2020, which had 40 members,” regrets Maud Gatel, president of the MoDem group, Democrats and Greens. This is not conducive to collaborative work.”
Now officially inaugurated, the new elected officials will fully enter the arena during the next Paris Council session. Scheduled for November, it will focus on voting on budgetary guidelines.
