Economical proposals of candidates to Angers mayor office about the ways to boost local economy

Apparently, the audience at the meeting about the ways to boost Angers economy, which took place at Essca on October 22nd, left the place a little bit disappointed. The two candidates to the Angers mayor office, Frédéric Béatse and Christophe Béchu, didn't disclosed clear means to stimulate growth and employment. It is obvious that their silence was in part due to pure politician strategy. But they didn't say openly they had the legal authority to do so.

But the public got nevertheless the feeling that a confrontation was about to surge with Mr. Béchu making cutting remarks. In front of managers questioning the Angers and Maine-et-Loire representatives about the tax level, the president of the Conseil général noticed that a mayor has no room for manoeuvre in that field, a point on which Frédéric Béatse reminded that he"didn't raise tax rates". But should a city have an economic strategy? According to Mr. Béchu, whose answer is yes, the Angers strategy is not sufficiently ambitious and the single denomination, Angers Loire Valley, is not enough. Mr. Béatse would make confidence to the Angers ability to be distinct from the other cities reminding that "a mayor is not a manager and a manager is not a mayor". If Mr. Béchu looks to be eager to tackle head-on the attractiveness of the territory, his challenger believes the city must work on its quality of life what may give interest to the Angers area for companies.

Others invited of the event, Paul Raguin, chairman of Loire Electronic Valley and Hervé Tréhard, president of the Angers commercial court, were, in opposed directions, more fixed in their opinions. For the first, "what is happening here doesn't occur nowhere. Loire Electronique Valley is gathering 200 companies which total up 50 000 jobs. And we can multiply by three that figure". The second reminded that "the breakage of important companies" deserved more than an electoral debate. Jean-Luc Rotureau, a third candidate to the mayor office, urged the different actors "to stick together" for the destiny of the local economy. But during an electoral campaign, that seems unlikely.