At the close of the 107th Congress of Mayors of France in Paris on November 20, 2025, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu sought to appease local officials by promising regulatory relief and an annual bonus. He outlined concrete measures to simplify their daily tasks while criticizing political disorder in Parliament. These announcements come amid rising stress among mayors.
On November 20, 2025, at the closing of the 107th Congress of Mayors in Paris, Sébastien Lecornu, prime minister and former mayor of Vernon (Eure), adopted a tone of appeasement to address the daily difficulties of local officials. « I wish the start of the next municipal term to take place with the greatest simplicity », he stated, highlighting bureaucratic rigidities affecting the country's 500,000 to 600,000 elected officials.
He announced a « mega-decree » by Christmas to prune 30 « completely surreal » regulations, followed by 70 more between January and February. Key measures include reducing delays in the departmental commercial development commission and allowing videoconference meetings, deemed « revolutionary »; eliminating bimonthly incinerator checks; and removing the annual draining requirement for municipal pools, which drew loud applause.
Lecornu also tasked his ministers with studying a « regal » bonus of 500 euros per year for each mayor, regardless of commune size, to « secure » actions taken on behalf of the State. « We cannot ask mayors, as State agents, to take ever more risks without recognizing [that risk-taking] », he justified.
Amid political disorder in Parliament, where he lacks a majority for the 2026 budget, he decried its harmful effects on representative democracy. « I see few good news for the country coming from political disorder », he asserted, calling for compromise. These remarks echo recent studies: 83% of mayors find their term wearing on their health, with high stress and sleep issues; 31.4% show early exhaustion, and 3.48% a severe burnout risk, despite 69.3% overall satisfaction.