Jean-François Copé, mayor of Meaux since 1995, has announced his bid for a sixth term in the municipal elections. The 61-year-old Les Républicains member highlights the progress in the Seine-et-Marne town of 56,000 residents. Competing lists from the left and far right may force him into a second round.
Jean-François Copé, a key figure in Les Républicains (LR), has led Meaux for three decades. Parachuted into this Seine-et-Marne sub-prefecture by Jacques Chirac in 1995, he held national roles: president of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) from 2012 to 2014 and deputy for the 6th constituency from 2007 to 2017.
In the 2020 municipal elections, he secured 76.3% of the votes in the first round, solidifying his local base. At 61, Copé portrays a city that "has regained harmony" and spotlights its challenges nationally. "I still have the flame, because being mayor of Meaux is nothing like it was twenty years ago," he states.
For his sixth campaign, he positions himself as a protector of residents against "violence and divisions." Nationally, he rejects alliances with extremes, particularly the National Rally (RN). Oppositions from the left and far right could challenge his re-election, potentially leading to an unprecedented second round in this town of 56,000.
