1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = PARIS CENTRE

News came in while using the WiFi on the intercity bus from Rome to Perugia over the weekend that I missed the vote that took place at the Mairie of the 3rd arrondissement on the name and location of the new City Hall that will be comprised of arrondissements 1 through 4, to be combined into one. Voters included those registered on the electoral lists of the first four districts of Paris and while I’m a legal resident, I wouldn’t have had the right.

Why a grouping at all? The “simplification” of the administrative aspects of the four districts means a new distribution of powers between the State and the City and the reinforcement of the role of borough mayors. It was voted on February 28, 2017.

This is classic “gerrymandering” — a manipulation of the boundaries of an electoral body to favor one party. In this case: Socialist. Who cares about the name if it means so much power given to such an important and large area of Paris? They believe that it will improve the general administration, the cleanliness and sanitation, protection and security, education services and open up more possibilities for parents who apply for a place in a nursery.

They’re touting that this move will provide:

– Greater equity in the political representation of Parisians
– A single town hall in the aftermath of the next municipal elections scheduled for 2020
– Better access to and more efficiency of Parisian municipal services
– Modernization of local public services to better meet the needs and the expectations of citizens
– Free spaces to extend services to Parisians
– A method of consultation at all stages
– A will to involve all citizens and all the electorates

Meanwhile, the inhabitants will continue to live, visit, study, work in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th districts — they don’t disappear and the postal codes remain the same. At the citizens’ conferences held in January and February 2018, a panel of citizens suggested these names:

– Paris Center
– First arrondissements of Paris
– Heart of Paris
– Paris 1 2 3 4

For more than 25 years, Paris has been made up of 20 districts, a mayor heading each one. While in the 19th-century the inhabitants were mainly concentrated in the center of the city, today they live mainly in outlying districts. According to city officials, the division of Paris into 20 districts no longer corresponds to the current demographic reality and that the territorial organization of Paris had to adapt in order to guarantee that all Parisians have better democratic representation according to the number of inhabitants of each district. On top of all that, the reform will be an opportunity to increase the powers of the new district’s mayor…but of course!

The buildings recommended were the current town hall of the 3rd and the current town hall of the 4th. No part of the four districts is more than 20 minutes walk or public transport from these two buildings.

The results of the vote were this: 16,383 citizens of the center of Paris chose:

Name: “Paris Centre”
Location: The Mairie of the 3rd

This means that the Mairie near where I live will be the center of activity, and while I’m not opposed to that, I question the outcome of the gerrymandering. “On vera.” We will see.

To learn more, click here.

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Adrian Leeds Group

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