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.

The 21 Foch, a "micro hotel" in a big mansion

Le "21 Foch", un nouvel établissement membre de la chaîne internationale Chateaux and Hotels Collection, vient tout juste d'ouvrir ses portes. Les débuts sont prometteurs pour Thomas Couet, le responsable des lieux dont les premiers clients sont venus du monde entier. L'esprit de cet ancienne maison de maître semble avoir rejailli sur le service que le "21 Foch" veut apporter à ses hôtes qui doivent se sentir dans un hôtel... particulier.

Opened 15 days ago, the "21 Foch" has taken a good start. "The first week we were already full. We took benefit from the latest Salon du végétal which led to us customers from England, Nederlands and Russia", says the hotel manager, Thomas Couet. The "21 Foch" is a result of a long project Mr. Couet, nevertheless young, had in mind. "Visiting Ireland, a country where I lived, I stumbled upon charming hotels in the countryside. I felt there like at home. So I got the idea to do the same in France. I want the guests do not feel they are in a hotel in the 21 Foch".


Thomas, visited the place thanks to Pascal Favre d'Anne, chef of the Angers eponym retaurant, a first star of the Michelin guide, he met by chance 18 months ago."I had the project but not the place. He knew the place but had not the project", remembers Mr. Couet. After ten months of works, that former mansion (600 m2) empty for ten years but with an old-faschioned character, is become a "micro hotel" (14 rooms), but top of the range. The "21 Foch" is opened 24 hours a day and is equipped with cable television, strong box, room service, wifi, internet terminal, high-flow and lift, that one soon adorned with trompe-l'oeil paintings. "We had a lot of work at the very beginning and some details have to be adjusted. Within a few weeks, all wil be set up".

From the windows, the customers have in view the green ribbon of the tramway. Thanks to the 21 Foch, and later the new commercial gallery the Conseil général is building, the boulevard should find again a new balance. The establishment, visible on Facebook and member of the Chateaux and Hotels Collection, a 600 members chain in 16 countries, run by Alain Ducasse, an internationally recognized chef, will be officially inaugurated at the end of March. "I don't want it like a bash", warns Thomas Couet. And moreover, the future Angers mayor is not known.

An opinion poll considers the outcome of a duel between left and right as unpredictable

Selon un récent sondage, il est très difficile de dire qui, de Frédéric Béatse ou de Christophe Béchu, l'emportera en cas de face à face au second tour des élections municipales. En 2008, le maire sortant ne l'avait emporté que de quelques centaines de voix. L'écart pourrait être encore plus faible pour son successeur en mars prochain.

According to a new poll published on February 25th by Election Scope, an institute dedicated to electoral
forecasts based on political and economical datas, the outcome of the second round of the next Angers municipal elections will be very close between Frédéric Béatse and Christophe Béchu, socialist and conservative candidates. If Mr. Béatse's score would be a little bit higher than the one of Mr. Béchu, with 50.3% of the votes after the second round, the institute considers the difference doesn't allow to tell who is going to win. According to the specialists of Election Scope, the situation is "too close to call".

The outcome of the ballots should even be unpredictable for the left as for the right because of divisions and resentments on the two political sides. On the right, Christophe Béchu is not sure to get the votes of Front national supporters, neither those of Laurent Gérault's followers, both of them unable to go on for the second round. On the left, Jean-Luc Rotureau, ousted by the Parti socialiste, who would get 14% of the votes on the first round, should be able to go on for the second one.

According to the institute, six factors will influence the first round : the previous results of 2008, the quality of the municipal management, socio-demography and real-estate structure, holding of multiple offices, economic situation and the popularity of the Republic president. The second round is first influenced by the presence of two, three or more candidates. In 2008, only 667 votes decided between Jean-Claude Antonini (50.61%) and Christophe Béchu (49.39%). The margin in March 2014 could be even more narrow.

The second tramway route becomes a way scattered with traps, for candidates to municipal elections

Le tracé de la seconde ligne de tramway est en passe de devenir un sujet important dans l'esprit des candidats, si ce n'est des habitants. Des riverains potentiels de la seconde ligne expriment leur mécontentement et sont écoutés. Tout ne roule pas comme sur des rails. 

The route of the second tramway line is probably one of the most important topics the candidates may have in mind. After residents and retail store owners of the La Doutre district got from Christophe Béchu, the conservative candidate to the next municipal elections, that the route he first planned be changed, other groups of inhabitants and professional, in other districts, warned that some of the parts of the future line will also have to be reconsidered.

The Visitation square residents and store owners expressed their worries after Frédéric Béatse, socialist candidate to Angers mayor office, announced that the route would go through their district. The current mayor immediately acceded to their wish - the idea has been given up - while a meeting between him and those was planned on Thursday. Close to the inhabitants of the Visitation square, those of the Académie square also claimed that they were not satisfied with the project. In both cases, the prospect of lenghty works of the second line probably explain their standpoint.

One of Mr. Béatse's opponents, Bernard Dupré, running-mate of Christophe Béchu, has just after made use of those displeasure pointing out that the mayor "announces that one of the two routes planned in his campaign leaflet has been given up. But a few days before, he said that a tramway route could not be changed according to the win". The second tramway scheme appears to be an opportunity for candidates to make derail their challengers.

Laurent Gérault spares left candidates and warns that victory goes through the centre

Le candidat centriste aux élections municipales, Laurent Gérault considère que l'actuel président de l'agglomération  Angers Loire Métropole, Jean-Claude Antonini, ainsi que le président du Conseil général, lui aussi candidat aux échéances des 23 et 30 mars, Christophe Béchu, étaient tous deux responsables du déclassement de la ville. Dans cette interview, le candidat centriste ne semble pas en cause deux de ses challengers de gauche, Fréréric Béatse et Jean-Luc Rotureau. 

Laurent Gérault, the centrist candidate to the March 23 et 30 municipal elections, refuses to come out in favour of Jean-Claude Antonini, former Angers mayor and president of the agglomeration community, or Christophe Béchu, president of the General Council of Maine-et-Loire.

According to Mr. Gérault, their "squabble" is at the origin of the "drop of the town" in the compe-tition between Western territories for growth, jobs and fame, he said in the second of the interviews published by the daily Ouest-France during the electoral competition. For Mr. Gérault, that was visible in the Technicolor case in which the two authorities did the opposite of what both they recommended. "While both urged to involve themselves in a hunt in pack at the regional level, they were rather mobilized to fight each other", he deplored.

The candidate, who apparently didn't directly criticize the current Angers mayor,  didn't act differently with Jean-Luc Rotureau, one of his left challengers. He focused his critics towards André Despagnet, current deputy mayor in charge of finances, who choose to support Mr. Rotureau, after having elaborated the budget of Angers city for 2014. "Having planned the capital expenses and the increase of taxes, he coudn't not withdraw. Honestly, that shocked me", a standpoint suggesting that the current mayor was rather betrayed.

Anticipating the second round of the municipal elections, the centrist also pointed out that "nobody will win without the centre", a clear signal to Mr. Béatse and Mr. Rotureau, he never accused, and Mr. Béchu, about his availability to talk with them about the possible conditions of his support.

Centrists and conservatives : power struggle don't get well with rapprochement

La dernière séance du conseil municipal avant les élections des 23 et 30 mars a été l'occasion d'hommages rendus aux plus anciens des conseillers municipaux, au premier rang desquels, le prédécesseur de Frédéric Béatse, Jean-Claude Antonini. Dans l'autre camp, il se dit que des amabilités d'un tout autre genre auraient été échangées. Cela augurerait de rapprochements difficiles entre les deux tours. 

Laurent Gérault

If the latest session of the city council was an opportunity for marks of courtesy to some of the elder town councillors, and among them Jean-Claude Antonini, former Angers mayor, according to some majority town councillors, other statements were not so kind, and especially those between members of the minority, on one side those who choose to support Christophe Béchu and one the other side, the centrist Laurent Gérault, Mr. Béchu's challenger.

Gaétan Dirand

In such a case, these tough talks would not predict friendly relationships between Christophe Béchu and Laurent Gérault's teams and supporters. If the conservative candidate is likely to be the winner of the first round, his score (36%) is nevertheless below the one he recorded in the previous elections (almost 46%) at a time when centrists and conservatives were allies. Mr. Gérault is neither in a favourable position.

Christophe Béchu

As an outsider on the right side, his score (5%) is much more lower than the score of Jean-Luc Rotureau (14%), the left outsider and, he comes even after Gaétan Dirand, the far right candidate (7%). Moreover, the surveys notice Laurent Gérault is rather unknown by inhabitants. The difficult relationship he has with Mr. Béchu will be difficult to overcome. The conservative leader gave a negative answer to Laurent Gérault when they were talking of strategy in front of the left side.

But, with his 36% and the 5% of the centrist, Christophe Béchu has no a large electoral reserves given he will not call far right voters and all centrists electors are not sure to join him. So the rapprochement Frédéric Béatse tried to launch with Jean-Luc Rotureau' supporters could be followed by a similar manoeuvre between Christophe Béchu and Laurent Gérault's followers.

"Piece of (Sani's) cakes"

Si la pâtisserie française a fait florès outre-Manche, l'inverse pourrait devenir vrai. Une entreprise angevine est passée maître dans l'art de réaliser des gâteaux confectionnés comme des oeuvres d'art. Après avoir commencé dans un laboratoire, Sani's cakes a maintenant pignon sur rue.

Who said that French were not fond of English pastries? The presence, since a few months, of Sani's cakes on Lardin de Musset street, is the clue of the opposite. Manuel and Sani Golfier who run the store were already settled in Angers but were only accessible through internet. The growth of their business, started a few years ago, when pastries preparation was the hobby of Mrs. Golfier who shared it through a blog. The interest for that king of sweets attracted readers and customers.

Credit pictures : Sani's cakes

Sani's cakes, "the specialist of wedding cakes" has a double source of
inspiration. One French and the other English. "We produce pastries with artistic decorations English love", says Mr. Golfier while "our cakes are also influenced by the Marie-Antoinette style"*. The combination of that double inspiration is not only the visible part of the cake. "We have also to fit the requirements of our customers whether French or English" adding "French generally love less sugar based pastries unlike the English who are fond of them".

The consumers are far from being located in Angers. Sani's cakes delivers to customers around 250 kms from Angers. Many cakes have been preceded by inquiries about the taste of the customers and sometimes of tasting. Those depends on the age of the person recipient of the cake. "For a young girl, we recently prepared a cake tasting Kinder and, for a lady, we made a cake flavored to Bailey's".

Weddings, baptisms, birthdays are the most frequent orders Sani's cakes receives. Some of our deliveries are about a family, others for 300 persons! "But everything in the cake is edible", points out Manuel Golfier who nevertheless, when the cake was a giant one, never hid somebody in one of them!

* It was said that Marie-Antoinette, learning the eruption of the French revolution because of bread shortages had stated "Let them eat cake".

Marlène, an English air coming from... Germany

Beaucoup de magasins angevins font usage de mots anglais pour accroître leur visibilité. Dans le cas de Marlène, salon de coiffure situé boulevard Carnot, l'usage, qui remonte maintenant à quelques années, vient de l'expérience professionnelle que sa propriétaire a acquise en... Allemagne. 

If in the universe of cosmetics, a lot, if not, most of the brands come from English speaking countries. So the professionals using them have no other choice than to resign themselves to it. But this is apparently not the case of Marlène Gennies, settled since seven years on Carnot boulevard under his original qualification "Hair and make-up artist", because that is title given to those professional in... Germany. Mrs. Gennies lived and worked in Berlin for more than four years and was there in charge, during that period, of the hair and make-up tasks for actors playing in video and advertising clips.


So the display of his professional qualification "is at the same time a mark of faithfullness and a will to be different with the other hairstyling salons existing in Angers", she says. That didn't triggered any comments from his customers or the neighbouring stores. All have no problem to understand the "Hair and make-up artist". The use of that sentence may also have a taste of victory for Marlène Gennies who had to fight to get the acknowledgment of the skills and diploma she got on the other side of the Rhine while if she deserved a French national title in hairdressing in 2005.

In place since 2007, the red sentence "Marlène hair and make-up artist" is totally mixed up with the other stores of the Carnot boulevard and will be, for a long while, still "in the hair".