A violent charge on financial issues against the outgoing majority augures of irreversible political consequences on the left

André Despagnet, ancien maire-adjoint au finances d'Angers et principal soutien de Jean-Luc Rotureau dans la campagne des municipales s'est livré à une violente attaque contre le maire actuel, Frédéric Béatse, et son prédécesseur, Jean-Claude Antonini. M. Despagnet concentre ses critiques contre le montant des investissements de la ville. Au-delà de ses aspects financiers, stratégiques, dans les années à venir, ce "J'accuse" pourrait avoir des conséquences politiques irréversibles au sein de la gauche angevine actuelle.

Everything goes wrong in the Angers left. A violent charge against Frédéric Béatse, outgoing mayor and candidate to a new term, has been launched by André Despagnet, his former deputy-mayor entrusted with finances, and now one of the first running mates of Jean-Luc Rotureau, Mr. Béatse's challenger. "I Accuse Jean-Claude Antonini [previous mayor] and Frédéric Béatse of not having respect for the taxpayer's money", said Mr. Despagnet on a video published on his leader website. The former manager of the municipal finances focuses his critics on the investments of the city he thinks they will have to be under firm control in the years to come. "How will you finance them?" asks André Despagnet, visibly angry by the development of those issues for the 4 to 5 years.

The former deputy-mayor in charge of finances deplore the construction of the aqualudic centre, AquaVita, simply because "We did'nt have the means to finance it". Refering to the figures of investments, € 69 millions in the 2014 budget he didn't vote, the former deputy-mayor warns that "they are too high" and that they could lead the Angers decision makers to increase taxes. André Despagnet even dramatizes the case : "Angers will be tomorow the city where taxes and debt are the highest".

The financial field is an important stake in Jean-Luc Rotureau's platform. The candidate demanded a public debate be organized on the municipal resources between candidates. "It is the debt reduction which allows us to have ambition for Angers. Not the opposite", writes Mr. Rotureau in his proposals. From a political standpoint, these fierce attacks inside the current left majority do not augur favourably of a better understanding between him and Mr. Béatse's supporters after the first round. A split appears now as irreversible.

Angers more attracted by "sex" than "elections"

Si Angers se distingue dans nombre de hit-parades nationaux en termes de qualité de vie, d'espaces verts ou de gestion, un autre classement place fait valoir qu'à Angers, les internautes angevins ne sont pas, si l'on en croit leurs requêtes sur le net, si prudes qu'ils en ont l'air. Selon d'autres analyses de ces mêmes requêtes internet, leur intérêt pour le Sco supplante de très loin celui pour les municipales où tous les candidats sont battus par Pharell Williams. 

According to surveys about what are the words most searched by Angevins internet users, it seems that "sex" is more attractive issue than elections. Thanks to the Google Trends tool, the Ne rien louper website recently ranked the French cities where requests containing the word "sex" were the most frequent. In 2013, the French cities where "sex" was looked for (on the web) were, most of them, located in the Western part of France and Angers is the 7th.

There is nothing similar with the electoral issue. Another survey, always carried out with Google Trends along 2013, demonstrates that the interest of Angers inhabitants for the municipal elections was much less important than their passion for Angers Sco. The Google Trends analyse shows that, last year, the electoral event had not caused wide interest in comparison with the attention Angers interner users saved for their soccer club currently qualified in the quater-finals of the France cup. Another lesson coming from Google Trends is Christophe Béchu' activities are more followed by Pays de la Loire internet users than those of Frédéric Béatse and Jean-Luc Rotureau.

But all of them are largely overtaken by the lip dub of Pharell Williams "Happy Angers" which could reach about 700 000 views. In order to get audience, Angers candidates know what to do...

The Front national shows off its programme and aims 10% for the first round

S'il était le premier à déposer sa liste de candidats aux élections municipales d'Angers, le Front national a été le dernier à présenter son programme. Son leader, Gaétan Dirand, prend acte de la crise, avec des économies de fonctionnement, des abandons ou reports d'infrastructures, mais reconnait les possibilités limitées d'un maire pour agir. Le Front national qui vise 10% des voix et une représentation au sein du futur conseil municipal, est crédité de 6 à 7% des voix dans les sondages.

Gaétan Dirand

If the Front national was the first to file its list of candidates for Angers city council in the Maine-et-Loire prefecture, it was the last to unveil his programme. In that one, the leader of the Fn in the department, Gaétan Dirand, duly records the economic crisis the city is experiencing and cancels, or at least postpones, a series of projects. The two main schemes, common to most of platforms in competition, the reconquest of the Maine banks and the second line of the tramway, are concerned. Mr. Dirand and his running-mates consider the first as something "pharaonic" it is necessary to give up "purely and solely". And regarding the tramway, having taken note of the difficulties the first line created for store owners, the Front national candidate sets two conditions : a financial survey about the capacity of the town to finance it and a local referendum.

Credit pictures Front national

The city finances and the economy are others fields in which the Front national, if elected, promises changes. Gaétan Dirands wants savings : communication expenses, energy costs and, among those the public lighting. The allocation of financial grant to associations will depend of their "public usefulness", a criteria it is not known how it will be appreciated. In the economic field, Mr. Dirand, who recognizes that a mayor is far from having the means to act, plans nevertheless to take measures in three directions : training, business creations and support to the existing companies through facilities and investments. The Front national candidate wants local companies have priority in municipal adjudications. Last but no least, the safety leads Mr. Dirand to extend the schedules of the local police to "one or two o'clock in the morning" until four during the weekends.

The Front national aims to get at least 10% of the votes of the first round and, doing so, to sit in the future city council. Mr. Dirand didn't disclose if his list would going on for the second round. but the last opinion polls foresee about 6% (France 3-Ipsos) or 7% (Tns-Sofres) for the Front national candidates.

Jean-Luc Rotureau reconsiders his withdrawal, if ranked in third position after the first round

Après avoir indiqué qu'il se retirerait de la course à la mairie d'Angers s'il arrivait au terme du 1er tour en troisième position, Jean-Luc Rotureau fait marche arrière. Il n'est en effet pas très loin de l'objectif des 20% des voix qu'il s'était fixé puisque les sondages d'opinion le créditent de 17%, une situation qu'il sera, si elle est confirmée, "hors de question d'ignorer". 

Jean-Luc Rotureau would be changing his mind regarding his withdrawal in case of a third rank after the first round of municipal elections. If he made clear, before the release of the first opinion polls in February, that he would give up in case of a lower score compared to Frédéric Béatse, he recently back-pedaled. According to the news magazine L'Express, the left dissident candidate would regret his pormptness, what was already visible a few weeks ago (see "Jean-Luc Rotureau lingers doubts about his decision for the second round", Adn March 1st).

Refering to his first interview with Ouest-France in which he said he would step down, the dissident left candidate detailed that "It was a talk off the record. The gap [between himself and Mr. Béatse] will be anyway very close. If our score is about 20%, it will mean that a lot of Angevins see themselves in our project. Out of question to ignore their voices", stated Jean-Luc Rotureau. Morever, the two main opinion surveys about the voting polls, which diverge about the results of Frédéric Béatse and Christophe Béchu, converge regarding the result of Mr. Rotureau : 17%.

According to some observers of the Angers municipal elections, the supporters of Jean-Luc Rotureau come from the centrist part of the electorate what would explain the low score of the centre candidate, Laurent Gérault. And the opinion polls suggest that his supporters would not bring their votes to the outgoing mayor, Frédéric Béatse. The conservative candidate, Christophe Béchu, bets on a trilaterally for the second round in what would make likely his victory, writes the Express which stresses that Jean-Luc Rotureau's interest is to go on for the second round instead of disappear. He could then set a date for the next ballot. In 2020.

Place au vélo rings Angers agglomeration city council candidates

L'association des usagers du vélo à Angers, Place au Vélo, a écrit aux principales listes faisant campagne pour les élections municipales et leur demande de prendre position sur quelques points essentiels relatifs aux conditions actuelles d'usage de la bicyclette et à la place que celle-ci aura une fois qu'ils auront été élus. Un petit coup de sonnette n'est pas inutile. 

Credit pictures : Place au vélo

Place au vélo, an associa-tion of bikers supporting the use and promotion of bicycle as mean of transpor-tation in town, has disclosed a letter it sent on February 5th to "the main lists to municipal elections" in order to lead them to take a stance on four points "essentials to ensure an harmonious development of travels inside the Angers agglomeration". "Are you ready to reduce the place of cars on town public domain... in traffic as much as parking", ask the co-presidents of the bikers community, Roselyne Picorit and Frédéric Guimier. According to those supporters, it is a matter of urgency "to solve pollution and traffic problems" in Angers.

The Place au vélo representatives also claim about the conditions of current cyclable lanes they consider as very incomplete" between Angers and the surroundings towns and villages. They also suggest that the number and the design of those ways will have to be considered because the development of electric bicycle use makes people able to do longer travels. They add it is the responsability of those neighbouring towns and villages to tackle the problem given they are "directly implicated in the flood of car towards Angers". According to Place au vélo, the improvement of the current facilities for bikers would surely increase the number of persons using a bike.
"

Credit picture Angers Loire Métropole

The association also sets date for the future, after the end of the current electoral campaign and wants to know who will be, in every team, the person in charge of the interest of cyclists and what will be the policy each team will support at Angers agglomeration regarding movings. According to Place au vélo, while all candidates to Angers and surrounding city councils make commitments in front of the voters, they can also do the same regarding voters who vote with their calves.

An Instant bagel on Saint-Laud street

La rue Saint-Laud, l'une des plus fréquentées et l'une des plus typiques d'Angers, continue d'attirer de nouvelles enseignes. Un "Instant bagel", situé à proximité de la rue Plantagenet, vient d'ouvrir ses portes. Le consommateur angevin va découvrir un nouveau produit. 

A new store and, through it, a new product, have just appeared in Angers, "L'instant bagel". Located on Saint-Laud street, the shop was opened on March 8th by Raphaël and Naïma Le Lubois, both of them restaurateurs since 1994. The bagel is far from to be unknown in English speaking countries, especially United States even if, details Mrs. Le Lubois, "its origins are rather in the Eastern European countries". For the customers, the recipe is simple.

Five kinds of different breads "all cooked in bakeries", most of them salted (but some of them can also be sugared), are the basis of the bagel what the buyers can match with several side dishes, "the whole being toasted then assembled in front of him". Easy to be eaten, the product gave its name to the store. "We bet about the practical and the speed of a bagel consumption", adds Mrs. Le Lubois' husband, Raphaël.

"L'intant bagel", which comes after a former flower shop, will be widened with a terrace equipped with heating devices, as many other bars and cafes of the Saint-Laud street. "We felt in love with the place", reminds Naïma Le Lubois who was convinced, seeing the inside of the store, with its tuffeau and slates stones, that the location will be suited to its new business.

"This is not the first time we change of restauration model", she says, sure that the bagels will be the delights of customers, whatever be their age, who go in front of the store all day long. The store, opened from Monday to Saturday included, will also fit its menus with the change of the seasons. Another "Instant bagel" in another place of Angers is even planned. The "Instant" doesn't waste time.

Ethical references surface in the electoral campaign

La campagne électorale aura vu les préoccupations éthiques faire surface. Celles-ci ont pris deux formes : la publication des patrimoines des candidats et de leurs co-lisitiers d'une part, la domiciliation des futurs conseillers municipaux à Angers d'autre part. Les différentes listes en compétition ont des positions variables sur le sujet. Toute la question est de savoir si l'électorat prendra en compte les déclarations et les comportements éthiquement responsables dans son choix. 

Transparency ideal comes in the municipal elections. Frédéric Béatse, outgoing mayor, has announced he will publish on his website the list of all his real-estate, financial and miscellaeous assets. This is in the continuation of his signature of Transparency France, member of a no governmental organization dedicated to transparency and honesty in public and economic life. He is not the only one candidate to have done so. Laurent Gérault, himself, did the same and previously also joined Anticor, a French community whic aims at fighting corruption and regenerate representative democracy.

That topic, already present since the beginning of the municipal campaign, has just been revived after its was revealed by an anonymous internet user that Christophe Béchu, himself candidate to city mayor office, had entrusted to his wife's communication agency some works resulting from municipal, european and regional campaigns between 2008 and 2010, works paid by the French state. If that situation is free from legal critics, according to the Maine-et-Loire Anticor delegate, that one, Annick Planchon, and Angers medias, questioned about their compliance with ethic. So politician ulterior motives are maybe not absent in this interest for transparency charts, Mr. Béchu didn't want to sign nevertheless pointing out that such a decision "doesn't dent [his] involvement for transparency of political representatives concerning their electors" (His assets are published on his website since 2013).

A rela-ted issue to those had surfaced during the campaign regarding the place residence of candidates and running mates given some of those, competing for the Angers city council do not live in Angers. Eight persons are in that situation among the 21st running mates of Christophe Béchu (including that one) and two among the 21st supporters of Mr. Béatse, only one in Jean-Luc Rotureau's list and nobody in those of Laurent Gérault.

The Angers school of medecine prescribes new conditions of admission

La faculté de médecine d'Angers pratiquera, à compter de 2015, un nouveau mode de sélection des candidats. Le concours permettant à 170 personnes sur plus de 1 000 d'accéder en deuxième année sera supprimé au profit d'une licence plurisanté permettant une meilleure réorientation en cas d'échec. Des sept facultés de médecine françaises ayant choisi ce changement, c'est peut être à Angers qu'il est le plus radical.

The Angers school of medecine is among the seven French universities which will experiment new methods of admission of students in the second year of their course. Until now, the medecine students had to face a very competitive exam at the end of their first year (Première année communes aux études médicales - Paces) because, on a national average, only 13% of them were admitted in the second year. In the school year 2012-2013, 170 students out of 1,095 students were admitted in the second year. The Angers rate of success (15,5%) ranked the local medecine department at the 28th rank out of 35 schools of medecine all over France.

Building of the Angers medecine department

The French medecine universities are eager to diversify the recruitement of doctors often criticized and considered as disconnected from reality and, above all, to fight against the rate of failure, 84,5% which, would cost € 350 millions every year in France. The Angers medecine university is one of the most audacious because, from 2015, it will suppress the Paces and wil replace it by a multidisciplinary process called "License Multisanté". All the students having validated their first year of license will be authorized to stand to the competitive exams giving acces to the second year. The 3/4 of the numerous clausus will be kept for themselves. The last quarter will be used by repeating students.

The numerous clausus is itself  determined upon the needs of doctors in the region where the students will fulfill their cursus. So, some universities are more selctive than others. That system was implemented 40 years ago in order to lower the health public expenses...  But it is more and more questioned because France is due to welcome medecine students coming from countries where there is no numerus clausus. The Angers numerous clausus changed in 2012 from 169 to 170...

The Angers real estate market will experiment an increase of ownership transfer taxes

Alors que le marché immobilier angevin se caractérise par un nombre important de maisons et d'appartements qui ne trouvent pas preneurs, le Conseil général de Maine-et-Loire a décidé fin 2013 d'augmenter le taux des droits applicables aux transactions. La mesure n'est pas neutre pour les ménages. Les Conseils généraux intéressés justifient sa décision par la baisse de la dotation qu'ils reçoivent de l'Etat. 

The Angers real estate market, which is not already in good shape, could be hampered a little bit more by a
decision of the Conseil général de Maine-et-Loire regarding the ownership tranfer taxes. That territorial authority, as well as more than sixty others in France, has decided, and maybe when it was no authorized to do so, in December 2013, to raise those tax from 3.80% to 4.50%.  That increase should be implemented after April 15th.

For the households, the raise is noticeable because it gets real estate transfers heavier : € 717 every € 100,000. It means that a real estate property transfered from a houshold to another one will make heavier the bill by € 1,750 in case of a property value of € 250,000. In that case the amount of the ownership transfer taxes will be € 21,600 instead of € 19,856. The total rate of those taxe is now 7.70% : 4.50% dor the Conseil général, 1.20% for the town or village, 0.11% for miscellaneous taxes, 1.24% for the notary and € 1,300 of diverses expenses.

The territorial authorities having decided that increase had explained it as the result of an agreement with the French state. The ownership transfer taxes would be a compensation for the decrease of state allocations while the Conseil généraux social expenses were soaring. Many candidates to the Angers mayor office , and among them the president of the Conseil général, pointed out the difficult situation of the real estate market in Angers where more than 3,000 apartments and house would be for sale. The increase of taxes may cancel the decrease of real estate prices.

The Angers story of "The monument's men" at Vivement dimanche

Angers et le Maine et Loire ont été sous les feux de Vivement dimanche, l'émission de Ffrance 2 présentée par Michel Drucker et consacrée, au film de Georges Clooney, "The monument's men". Ce film s'inspire d'un ouvrage historique écrit par la sénatrice Corinne Bouchoux, ce dernier a été offert à la star américaine.

Angers and the Maine-et-Loire have had the honour of "Vivement dimanche", a talk-show broadcasted on February 2nd, and presented by Michel Drucker on France 2 channel whose guest was the American actor George Clooney. That one is the director and performer of The monuments' men, an Us-German movie about rhe mission of an allied group finding and saving pieces of art and other cultural important items before their destruction by Hitler, during the second World War. The story is basrd on real events to which Corinne Bouchouw, Maine-et-Loire senator, dedicated a book published in 2006 and offered by Michel Drucker to Georges Cooney.

Mrs. Bouchoux, herself history doctor, detailed on March 8th, on
Angers medias, the story of her book which tells the story of Rose Vallan, an attaché at the Jeun de paume museum (Paris) where passed numerous works of art atolen by the German army. Sh also told the way that one came in Georges Clooney's hands. "I was touched when Michel Drucker offered my book to Georges Clooney", she said, "It's an answer to persons wondering what is research for?".

The copyrights of Mrs Bouchoux were bought by a Texan bilionnaire, Robert Edsel, who did the same with other books and wrote "The Monuments men : allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history", later introduced to Georges Clooney. Upon that story, that one decided to make a movie in which he is one of the actors, by Cate Blanchet, Matt Damon and Jean Dujardin. "The monuments' men"  has just been screened on Angers cinemas. Unfortunately, that one didn't came there. Maybe he will a next Sunday?

Second debate : the candidates stays in their own marks

Au cours du débat organisé par France 3 et Ouest-France entre quatre des neuf candidats à la mairie d'Angers, les candidats sont restés dans leurs visions respectives. Un consensus se dégage sur la nécessité d'intégrer les effets de la crise économique sur les finances de la ville et le pouvoir d'achat des Angevins. La principale passe d'armes s'est produite entre Christophe Béchu et un journaliste. 

The debate between four of the nine candidates to Angers mayor office allowed to Frédéric Béatse, Christophe Béchu, Laurent Gérault and Jean-Luc Rotureau to stand firm on their respectives lanes before the second round of municipal elections. The late one, Mr. Rotureau, avoided carefully to unveil what he could do he was third after the first round, an hypothesis more than likely. "I have respect for the members of my list. We will see on March 23rd", he said leaving Frédéric Béatse, his left challenger short on explanations.


The debate also dedicated a while to the accusations expressed, anonymously by a blog against Christophe Béchu. "Is it normal for the president of a Conseil général to make work the company of his wife?" asked one journalist what led the conservative candidate, blamed for the deals given to his wife's communication agency during electoral campaign (and not by the Maine-et-Loire authority) to reply "I will not let anybody to divert me from the electoral campaign the Angevins are entitled to".

On the economic and facilities issues, a consensus appears regarding the policy the town has to follow while

its financial resources will be under pressure because of the economic crisis. All the candidates promise they will not raise taxes. The main difference is related to the New banks of Maine scheme all the candidates want to lower and to stage on a larger period except the outgoing mayor who considers the idea as a leverage for a better attractiveness of the city. Mr. Béatse found regrettable "the lack of ambition" and warned "If we do not invest, we are dead". Another field of opposition was related to the ways it is possible to develop Angers influence in Western France.

According to a new opinion poll, Christophe Béchu would win over Frédéric Béatse

Les sondages se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas. Alors qu'il y a une quinzaine de jours, Tns Sofres prédisait une bataille serrée entre Frédéric Béatse et Christophe Béchu pour la mairie d'Angers, un autre enquête d'opinion réalisée par Ipsos donne le candidat de droite vainqueur en cas de duel et en cas de triangulaire. La dispersion des voix de gauche au premier tour se transformerait pour elle en déperditions au second tour.

Opinion polls come one after the other and do not look each other. A new survey from Ipsos predicts the victory of Christophe Béchu against Frédéric Béatse for the second round of the municipal elections. In case of a duel, Mr. Béchu would win the day by 54% of the votes, the outgoing mayor getting 46%. In case of a trilaterally, Jean-Luc Rotureau going on for the second round, the conservative candidate would get 50%, the socialist one 33% and the third 17%. That opinion poll, published on February 28th, contradicts another one, coming from Election Scope (February 25th), forecasting a very narrow victory for Mr. Béatse. A previous one, published by the Sofres a fortnight before noticed that a victory for the right side would be more difficult to get than predicted.


The results of the first round, according to Ipsos, give Christophe Béchu ahead (41%), followed by Frédéric Béatse (26%) and Jean-Luc Rotureau (17%). The other candidates, and among them Gaétan Dirand, far right and Laurent Gérault, centrist, could not go on for the second round. If, in total, and after the first round, the left gets 51% of the votes and the right 49%, that balance of power is not transposed for the second round. It is even the opposite. The dispersal of lists on the left side, on the first round, leads to a loss of votes on the second round and especially, among Jean-Luc Rotureau's supporters. If the two thirds of them would vote for Mr. Béatse, one half ot the last third would abstain, and the second half would vote for Christophe Béchu.

That one was satisfied by the results of the inquiry : "The dynamic is on our side. [The opinion poll] confirm the will of the Angevins to change the mayor with votes intentions especially low for the outgoing mayor", he said while his challenger, Frédéric Béatse, was on a rather cautious line : "This survey presents such a difference with what was revealed two weeks ago by the Sofres that we can question the results published". The last inquiry of Ipsos took place just before the disclosure of the bids got by the communication agency managed by Mr. Béchu's wife for the electoral campaign the candidate for Angers mayor office led from 2008 to 2010.

Christophe Béchu denies all "personal enrichment" after communication services from his wife's company

Le leader d'Angers pour vous, Christophe Béchu, a affirmé que les prestations effectuées par la société de communication dirigée par sa femme lors de ses campagnes électorales de 2008 à 2010, étaient "légales" et n'ont donné lieu à "aucun enrichissement personnel".  Cette affaire est intervenue à 48 heures du second débat public entre les candidats à la mairie d'Angers.


Christophe Béchu, leader of the Angers pour vous list in competition for the city council, confirmed in Le Courrier de l'Ouest that he "made appeal to Peptine" for the communications works upon his candidacies to municipal, european and regional elections between 2008 and 2010. But Mr. Béchu denied that the deals granted to Peptine conseil, the communication company managed by his wife, has led to the least "personal enrichment" what he was blamed by "Je vois (presque) tout", an anonymous blog. "We decided to call in Peptine, by ensuring, that it was legal, regular and possible". Christophe Béchu, who has filed a complaint against the author of the blog, critized the amalgam between "expenses paid for services to a company by passing them for personal enrichment".

Marie-Hortense Béchu, his wife and manager of Peptine, pointed out that her company did'nt compete for bids coming from territorial authorities. "We are a very little business. We go out of our way and we have difficulties making ends meet at the end of the month", she said. The turnover of Peptine, € 369 000, and its profit, € 8 000, "make me the lowest paid of the employees and I am able not to be paid at all for several months" said Mrs. Béchu.

According to the news, the amount of the deals Peptine Conseil got for its communication services during the three campaign total up to € 160 000. On his front page, "muni", the nick name of the author of the blog, indicates that his former employer was "municipales-angers" and that he (or she) lives in Angers. The second of the two public debates of the municipal elections will take place on March 7th.

The municipal campaign turns vicious

La campagne électorale vire à l'aigre. Deux candidats mis en cause par des tracts ou des tweets anonymes, Jean-Luc Rotureau et Christophe Béchu, ont décidé de porter plainte. M. Béchu serait accusé d'avoir eu recours aux services d'une société de communication dirigée par sa femme pour de précédentes campagnes électorales. Mais les avis recueillis auprès d'Anticor et de la justice n'ont rien révélé d'illégal.

The electoral campaign is turning sour. Two of the candidates were due to bring a complaint after they were accused by anonymous persons. Jean-Luc Rotureau was attacked through a leaflet, something he had already denounced in an interview by Ouest-France, pointing out he was aware of the origin of that document. Christophe Béchu has just been under an attack through a message published on Twitter by another anonymous internet user.

Regarding the second candidate, that one would be blamed to have called on Peptine conseils' services, a company managed by Marie-Hortense Béchu, Mr. Béchu's wife, for communication works about his municipal, european and regional campaigns of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The daily Ouest-France reports that several bills coming from Peptine conseils are joined to the accusations, for a total of € 160 000. According to Annnick Planchon, the Maine-et-loire delegate of Anticor, a national community dedicated to promote rigour in the management of public issues by political representatives, "those pratices have nothing illegal. But, from an ethical standpoint, it's more worrying". According to the anonymous internet user, the Peptime conseils would have also got contracts with companies having themselves deals with the Maine-et-Loire general council, an authority Mr. Béchu directs. On that case too, the district attorney said nothing was illegal. 

The leader of the list Angers pour vous filed a complain for defamation. "I want to find out who is behind this", said Mr. Béchu who added that "such behaviours make me  vomit". According to Ouest-France, several anonymous blogs or Twitter counts target all candidates to Angers mayor office.

The electoral participation, first goal of candidates

Le premier enjeu du prochain scrutin est le niveau de la participation. Les candidats, pour des raisons diverses, ne s'y trompent pas. Le maire sortant pourrait faire les frais du faible niveau de popularité de l'actuel gouvernement et de la situation économique générale. Mais son principal rival a aussi intérêt à créer une dynamique derrière sa candidature dès le 1er tour. L'abstention ne sera sans doute pas le seul fait des "pêcheurs du dimanche". Elle pourrait être politique et assumée.

Before the outcome of the first round of the municipal elections, the level of the electoral participation is one of the main issues of candidates, whatever be their political mood. The last edition of Vivre à Angers, the bimonthly magazine of the city is as clear as it can be. Under the reminder of the ballotson March 23 and 30 there is that single word "Vote". The previous polls of 2008 in angers had already been characterized by a hig level of abstention : 41% for the first round and 36.5% for the second round. In order to prevent the renewal of such a phenomena, Angers city and all the candidates have implemented a large awareness of electors about the importance to do their "civic duty".

According to many French medias, one of the most likely reason for an important abstention is the current unpopularity of the French president, François Hollande what could mean that the no-vote decision has nothing to do with indifference but could in fact have a political meaning. Of course the outgoing mayor, Frédéric Béatse, supported by the socialist party which is in office at the national level, is more concerned by such phenomena than his challenger, Christophe Béchu. Another phenomena, which has few to do with Mr. Béatse's city management, is the depressive trend of unemployment. According to the latest statistics, the number of unemployed persons in Angers has increased by 5% on a single month (11 815 in January versus 11 251 in December).

But, Christophe Béchu, rival of the outgoing mayor, is not safe from that possible desaffection. The fact he choose not to settle an alliance with the centrist Laurent Gérault can deprive him of votes in the second round. A part of Mr. Gérault's supporter may choose abstention in the final run. So, perhaps more than Mr. Béatse, Christophe Béchu must mobilize people as soon as the first round while his opponent can benefit of more reverves pf votes with the possible backup of Jean-Luc Rotureau's supporters.

"Easier" access to stores in 20 minutes flat

La mairie d'Angers a installé dans plusieurs endroits de la ville une nouvelle génération d'horodateurs. Ceux-ci, grâce à des capteurs au sol, détectent la présence d'un véhicule et décomptent le temps restant à courir pour un stationnement sans frais. Le jeu en vaut-il vraiment la chandelle? 

The March-April issue of Vivre à Angers, the bimonthly magazine edited by the city, has published a news about the implementation in several squares of town of an automatic device dedicated "to make easy the access to shops and to allow the rotation of vehicles". The principle is easy : on 14 parkings spots located on Molière, Imbach, Sainte-Croix, Visitation squares and in Saint-Julien street, drivers can park their car for free during 20 minutes. The time is counted as soon as the vehicle is on the parking spot because buried sensors detect the presence of the vehicle. Once the no charged 20 minutes are passed : a "green signal on on a terminal lights up and a meter counts the remaining time (and) at the end of it verbalization may intervene"(1).


The problem is if that 20 minutes are sufficient to buy a pack of cigarettes or to post a letter, they are not suited to persons who have to go for some shopping or to go and come back with a child from shool (even if there is no talk with the teacher). Such a device could be more suited to the parking spots of the Saint-Laud railway station where many vehicles stay much more than necessary to pick up a traveller. And moreover, the lay out of electronic devices would be more useful to monitor "inappropriate" nocturnal behaviours in down town or to prevent more serious offenses. Does the monitoring of drivers simply parking their car justify such investments? Are such excesses (in time of parking) so serious?

Maybe that money could be used to improve facilities and traffic conditions for collective and no polluting modes of transport? The parking of cars in town is an important issue because closely connected to the attractiveness of the centre for visitors and stores owners.

(1) What is going on if the car just moves back then moves forward? Does it trigger 20 minutes free again?

The second tramway line financing plan in question

L'abandon, par l'Etat, de son projet d'écotaxe, et des recettes fiscales que celle-ci était censée lui procurer, pourrait avoir des conséquences sur la seconde ligne de tramway. En effet, il est prévu que l'Etat finance plus de 10% du coût de celle-ci. Si ses subventions font défaut, le tracé, la longueur et peut-être même le calendrier de la ligne pourraient être remis en cause. 


The route and the lenght of the second line of the Angers tramway were one of the main issues of the electoral campaign. An important change in the ability of the government to partially finance it could lead the different candidates to completely reconsider it. While it was planned that the state will finance about 10% of the overall cost of that scheme, € 36 millions out of 300 millions, the late abandonment of the ecotax by the government could deprive it of € 450 millions due to be dedicated to numerous tramway schemes all over France and, among them, the B line of the Angers tramway.

That change could lead candidates to shorten the route of the facility due to link Belle-Beille and Monplaisir districts and to join the first line at the Saint-Laud railway station (Frédéric Béatse and Jean-Luc Rotureau's platforms), or the hospital (Laurent Gérault's proposal), or at the Molière square (Christophe Béchu's idea). Regarding the shortening, most of the candidates give priority to a half-line between down town and Monplaisir, even if, it would be more logical to implement first the line between Belle-Beille and down town given the number of people studying on the Belle-Beille campus and living in Angers.

Mr. Rotureau, who plans to go beyond Monplaisir until the exhibitions park, could also to lower the scale of his project. About the route, some of them have integrated the use of an existing facility to cross the Maine (Laurent Gérault), others (Christophe Béchu) having choose a more direct way in order to save resources to build a new bridge. Other restrictions could be necessary. It is likely that the future Angers city council could be able to explainnew choices for the B line after the loss of a tenth of the budget. If such a hypothesis is confirmed, the implementation of the second line could have consequences on the faibility of other projetcs, like the ice skating. That will make easier for the Angers mayor to justify changes between campaign proposals and realisation.

The Courrier de l'Ouest editors worry about the future of their newspaper

Les journalistes du Courrier de l'Ouest, quotidien angevin propriété, depuis 2005, de son concurrent Ouest-France, s'inquiètent de l'avenir que leur maison mère réserve à leur titre. Ils contestent en particulier la ligne éditoriale qui leur est imposée et qui se traduit par une importance accrue donnée aux faits divers ainsi qu'à une distanciation avec l'information locale. A travers leur syndicat, ils dénoncent une gestion des ressources humaines "désastreuse".

Le Courrier de l'Ouest editors are in trouble. About 80% of them signed at the end of February a disapproval motion against the decision-makers of the Angers daily own, since 2005, by his rival, Ouest-France, the most important French daily newspaper. "The [Courrier de l'Ouest] editors come also to examine the contribution of [their] title to the [Ouest-France] group. And the future that one reserves to Le Courrier de l'Ouest". In particularly, the signatories blame the editorial policy of the newspaper : "disproportionate treatment of news items, overvaluation of anecdotal topics, exacerbation of anxiety-producing visions. One can add a rampant desertion of what remains our favorite field : local information".

The press release suggests that the Ouest-France group, few by few, would be attempting to marginalize the in terms of resources. "If the yearly accounts show some stability of the turnover for eight years around € 45 millions. In the same time substancial savings have been made on human resources expenses. Eighty jobs, a fourth of the workforce, have disappeared, representing at least € 5 millions in annual wages". The Syndicat national des journalistes, the editors trade union, lament that their most aged colleagues will not be replaced once retired and that historical local executives of the Courrier have been put aside from main responsible positions : "The human resources management is a disaster", they say.
Courrier

If such an evolution should go on, the damages for Angers would be double. First in the economic field because, the Courrier de l'Ouest is one of the most important private companies of Maine-et-Loire. But, also, in the political field : loss of pluralism (The Courrier de l'Ouest was, for a long time considered conservative face to Ouest-France, rather labour supporter) and above all weakening of an Angers historical voice in Western France.

Christophe Béchu focuses critics on Frédéric Béatse's projets and rules out an alliance with centrists

Pronostiqué comme vainqueur du 1er tour des élections municipales, Christophe Béchu estime que le premier sondage réalisé sur la ville d'Angers laisse penser que 30% des électeurs veulent à nouveau de Frédéric Béatse comme maire. Le candidat conservateur considère que le projet Rives Nouvelles est "irréaliste" et que le passage de la seconde ligne de tramway à la gare ne ferait qu'ajouter aux problèmes de circulation.

Along with Frédéric Béatse, Laurent Gérault and Jean-Luc Rotureau, Christophe Béchu was the guest of the daily Ouest-France and, during his interview, focused his critics on the current Angers mayor. After an opinion poll gave to that one, Frédéric Béatse, about 30% of the votes after the first round, the conservative candidate came to the conclusion that implicitely 70% of the voters didn't want to elect his left challenger.

Credit picture : Angers Béchu website

Regarding the project of the socialist candidate, Mr. Béchu reiterated that the New Banks of Maine scheme was "pharaonic and unrealistic" and that the route of the tramway second line through the Angers Saint-Laud railway station district, "where people already do not know how to move", was "symptomatic of a team short of ideas".  Mr. Béchu also refered to the street interviewes made by journalists in which inhabitants expressed, according to him, the "amateurishness" of the current mayor. But Mr. Béchu also admitted his idea of a route of the second trolley line through the La doutre district was "a mistake".

Questioned about an alliance with Laurent Gérault, the centrist candidate, after the first round, Mr. Béchu  kept his standpoint. "I have made it clear. The platform and the team for the first round will the same for the second round", throwing out the lower chance for an agreement between him and his challenger in a forseable future. As president of the Conseil général de Maine et Loire, Christophe Béchu wished good luck to the policy of re-industrialization of the late Angers Technicolor site, finding regrettable that "the department authority had been constantly put aside on a strategy as well as public announcements in medias".

Jean-Luc Rotureau lingers doubts about his decision for the second round

Jean-Luc Rotureau, s'il n'a pas ménagé ses critiques au sujet du programme de Christophe Béchu, a considéré qu'il n'était pas en phase avec "l'équipe de Frédéric Béatse" au sein de laquelle, selon lui, il serait beaucoup question de "répartition de postes". M. Rotureau entretient le flou sur ses intentions à propos du second tour, précisant simplement qu'il voulait "vivre la campagne jusqu'au bout".

Candidate to the next municipal elections, Jean-Luc Rotureau was in his turn the guest of the daily Ouest-France which asked him what he would do if he would be in third rank after the first round of March 23rd. Mr. Rotureau was rather evasive, saying "We will see how the campaign is going on". The candidate, apparently angry after a hostile leaflet with regard to him was distributed, told that he "wanted to live this campaign until the end", keeping so the mystery about what he would do : give up and letting his supporters free to choose between the current Angers mayor and his conservative challenger, give up and calling them to support Frédéric Béatse or going on for the second round.

Credit pictures : Jean-Luc Rotureau's blog

Jean-Luc Rotureau pointed out his differences with the two leaders of the campaign, Frédéric Béatse and Christophe Béchu. Rather than Mr. Béatse, the candidate talked about "the team of Mr. Béatse". He reminded that the current mayor had offered him an office at the head of Angers Loire Métropole, the authority gathering Angers and the surroundings towns and villages. "I am not in a sharing mood. And that is one of my differences with Frédéric Béatse's team". Regarding Christophe Béchu, Jean-Luc Rotureau considered his project was artificial : "There are a lot seducing issues in his platform. We are in a shop. It's like to be in front of a store. The window is beautiful, but once your are in the store, you realize there is nothing to buy".

The left candidate also shot sharp arrows to the previous mayor Jean-Claude Antonini who aimed at a "window-dressing" with the appointments of Michèle Moreau, then Bernadette Caillard-Humeau as his first deputy-mayor. "They were not real deputy-mayors", said Mr. Rotureau giving to understand that Mr. Antonini hold the power. He also explained that the appointment of Michèle Ramognino, current first deputy-mayor, was only due to the fact she is a woman.