"Examination" of the mayor in front of... students

Even if he denied to be involved in the electoral campaign leading to the March 2014 municipal elections, the
debate Frédéric Béatse, Angers mayor, got with the students of Essca has allowed both sides to express their own views about the place of the youth in the city. About 50% Angers inhabitants are under 30, pointed out Mr. Béatse, who, as mayor or candidate to mayor office, can't ignore that characteristic.

A large part of the evening was dedicated to the transportation facilities Angers students need in the future. Regarding the second line of the tramway, Mr. Béatse said that the Belle-Beille campus should be served by 2019. Students suggested that a VéloCité station should be set up next to their university and the mayor answered "Why not?" even if the yield between the cost and the use of that extension has to be studied first.

Frédéric Béatse detailed that students counted for 50% of the users of VéloCité. Because they are frequent owners of individual cars between downtown and their school, students wanted to know what would the city policy regarding the traffic in the years to come. The town council leader didn't hidden that the car traffic should be limited in the future through the development of charged parking lots.

Another part of the talks was dedicated to the aspect, some participants qualified "bleak", of the city on Sundays. Questioned about the opening of stores on those days and the jobs such a change could create for students, Mr. Beatse answered that a progress had been made regarding the Sundays before Christmas and New Year and feared that a complete liberalisation would kill the retail trade.

"Why should we hire you?", asked
the audience to the candidate. That one indicated that the municipal elections was not a debate about persons but about projects.