The main candidates send their aides to fight on the economy field

The recent proposals of Christophe Béchu about the ways to boost the local economy are the field of a

Credit : Angers Développement

quarrel with the current majority of the Angers Loire Métropole (Alm) and Angers city councils. After the Union pour un mouve-ment populaire (Ump) candidate announced his first ideas from his new committee room located in Voltaire streeet last November 14th, Daniel Loiseau, deputy chairman in charge of economy at Alm, claimed that several of those ideas were already implemented and that nothing was new. Emmanuel Capus, minority town councillor, answered in his turn to Mr. Loiseau who "did with the autosuggestion method an official speech which must not mislead anyone".

Credit : Angers Développement

If the majority doesn't express criticism about Mr. Béchu's proposals to welcome poten-tial investors in Angers and even says there is agreement about the idea to sell regularly part of the Angers real estate assets, it nevertheless points out that many aspects (like the last one) of his platform are not new. "The sponsoring of young project planners by active managers" as well as "the ability of the city to test new products manufactured in Angers" are not something innovative, says Mr Loiseau. The stance of that one led Mr. Capus to react : "If every-thing is already implemented, why the unemployment figures are rising, why youngs are leaving the city to find jobs somewhere else, why down town store owners complain about the lack of support of the city council".

Emmanuel Capus

Daniel Loiseau

Beyond the mutual accusations, it is clear that investments, attracti-veness, economy and employment are key questions for candidates as for many inhabitants. But the com-mon risk to such politician exchan-ges is to locate the candidates programs below the Angevins' expectations and the necessities of the circumstances. There are many ideas but, until now, few come from the people, as economic agents.