Anne Hidalgo, Paris mayor since 2014, will leave office in March after two terms. She entered politics in 2001 as first deputy to Bertrand Delanoë and has shown tenacity amid oppositions. Her record, intertwined with her predecessor's, splits opinions between praise for environmental commitment and criticism of her approaches.
Anne Hidalgo joined the Paris Council in 2001, following Bertrand Delanoë's election. Appointed first deputy right away, she held the role until 2014, when she succeeded her mentor as mayor of the capital. Over her two terms, the Socialist demonstrated notable determination, despite intense political oppositions and legal hurdles.
Her supporters portray her as Paris's most courageous mayor ever, driven by firm convictions. They commend her resolve to limit cars and curb pollution, aiming to make the city greener and more breathable. Conversely, critics label her an impostor, charging incompetence concealed by authoritarian tactics. They fault her policies, partly inherited from Delanoë's era, for disappointing outcomes extended without fresh approaches.
The reality appears balanced between these views. Leaving City Hall in March, Hidalgo concludes not just two terms but a quarter-century in Paris politics. Her legacy intertwines closely with Delanoë's. Similarly, Emmanuel Grégoire, her first deputy from 2018 to 2024 and Socialist candidate for the left-wing union (excluding La France insoumise), struggles to separate himself from this inheritance in his campaign.