Anne Hidalgo

Ana María "Anne" Hidalgo Aleu (French pronunciation: ​[an idalɡo]; born 19 June 1959) is a French–Spanish politician serving as Mayor of Paris since 2014. She is the first woman to hold the office and was re-elected for a second term in 2020.

Anne Hidalgo
Mayor of Paris
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 April 2014
Deputy	Bruno Julliard Emmanuel Grégoire
Preceded by	Bertrand Delanoë
First Deputy Mayor of Paris
In office 18 March 2001 – 5 April 2014
Mayor	Bertrand Delanoë
Preceded by	Jacques Dominati
Succeeded by	Bruno Julliard
Paris City Councillor
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 March 2001
Constituency	15th arrondissement (2001–2020) 11th arrondissement (2020–present)
Personal details
Born	Ana María Hidalgo Aleu 19 June 1959 San Fernando, Spain
Citizenship	France Spain
Political party	Socialist Party
Spouse(s)	First husband (div.) Jean-Marc Germain ​ (m. 2004)​ [1]
Children	3 including Arthur Germain
Residence	Hôtel de Ville de Paris
Alma mater	Jean Moulin University Lyon 3
Signature

Her first term as Mayor of Paris was marked by the November 2015 Paris attacks, including the Bataclan theatre massacre which she witnessed the aftermath of first-hand.[2] During her second term as Mayor of Paris which began in June 2020, Hidalgo has overseen Paris's response to COVID-19, implementing measures such as nightly curfews, closure of non-essential shops and the introduction 50 kilometres (31 mi) of pop-up cycle lanes known as 'coronapistes'.[3][4][5] So far during her second tenure a number of Hidalgo's policies have gained international attention, such as her proposal to remove over half of Paris's parking spaces,[6] turn the Champs-Élysées into a "fantastic garden",[7] and follow the '15-minute city' urban planning model.[8]

A member of the Socialist Party since 1994, she was First Deputy Mayor of Paris under Bertrand Delanoë (2001–2014), having held the title of Paris City Councillor from the 15th arrondissement since the 2001 municipal elections.[9]

Biography

Family background and youth

Hidalgo was born in San Fernando, near Cádiz, in Andalusia, Spain.[1] Her paternal grandfather was a Spanish Socialist who became a refugee in France after the end of the Spanish Civil War along with his wife and his four children. However, her grandparents returned to Spain some time later. Her grandmother died on the return trip whereas her grandfather was sentenced to death, although this sentence was eventually commuted to a life sentence.

Hidalgo's father, Antoine Hidalgo, was raised by his maternal grandparents. He was an electrician.[1] In the late 1950s, he married a seamstress named Maria;[1] they had two daughters, Ana (Anne) and María (Marie). However, due to the difficult economic climate in Spain during this period, Hidalgo's parents migrated to France, this time as economic immigrants.[10] They settled in Lyon in 1961, with their two daughters.

She grew up in Vaise, the ninth district of Lyon, speaking Spanish with her parents and French with her sister. Her parents are now back in Spain[10] while her elder sister, Marie, manages a company in Los Angeles.

Hidalgo and her parents were naturalized French when she was fourteen. In 2003 she regained Spanish nationality, and since then has dual French-Spanish nationality.

Since June 2004, she has been married to the politician Jean-Marc Germain, whom she met when they both worked in the private office of Martine Aubry, then Minister of Labor. They have a child together, born in 2002; Anne Hidalgo is also the mother of two children born of a previous union in 1986 and 1988.

Studies

Hidalgo graduated with a Master degree in social law at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3[11][12] before completing a Master of Advanced Studies (DEA) in social and trade unionism at Paris West University Nanterre La Défense

In 1982, she entered the national contest for the Labour Inspectorate, ranking 5th. In 1984, she won her first post in the Inspection du travail representing the 15th arrondissement of Paris. She retired from the civil service in July 2011, aged 52.[13]

Labour inspector

She obtained her first inspector assignment in Chevilly-Larue in 1984 at the age of 24 and lived in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. In 1991, she was appointed director of the National Institute of Labour.

In 1993, she joined the vocational training delegation at the Ministry of Labour and then obtained a mission at the International Labour Office in Geneva from 1995 to 1996. She then worked for one year as a project manager for the Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Labour. From 1996 to 1997, she was an officer at the Human Resources Directorate of Compagnie Générale des Eaux (then Vivendi and Vivendi Universal).

On 1 July 2011, Hidalgo retired from her position as labour inspector.

Member of ministerial cabinets

Between 1997 and 2002, Anne Hidalgo worked in three ministerial cabinets within the Jospin Government, first in the cabinet of Martine Aubry at the Ministry of Employment and Solidarity as technical advisor; then with Nicole Péry, Secretary of State for Women's Rights and Vocational Training, from 1998 to 2000, as technical advisor then consultant to the firm, participating, in particular, in the drafting of laws on parity and professional equality between women and men. From November 2000 to May 2002, she was a technical adviser and then mission manager, responsible for social relations and the status of civil servants, in the cabinet of Marylise Lebranchu, Minister of Justice.

She said on April 4, 2013, on RMC: "I earn € 5,000 net per month for my mandates". According to the website Atlantico, she received, for all her revenues, around 8,200 euros net per month.

Political career

Hidalgo served in three cabinets under the Jospin Government :

• From 1997 to 1998: as adviser to the cabinet office of Martine Aubry, Minister of Employment and Solidarity;
• From 1998 to 2000: as technical adviser then consultant to the cabinet office of Nicole Pery, Secretary of State for Women's Rights and Vocational Training;
• From November 2000 to May 2002: as technical adviser (and officer) to the cabinet office of Marylise Lebranchu, Minister of Justice (responsible for social relations and status of officials).

In the 2001 municipal elections, she led the list of the Socialist Party (PS) in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, which won 26.5% of votes in the first round then was at the second round behind the list gathered around Édouard Balladur and Mayor René Galy-Dejean. She joined the Conseil de Paris and was appointed First Deputy Mayor of Paris.

In June 2002, she was a candidate in the parliamentary elections for the 12th arrondissement of Paris, winning 29.6% of votes in the first round, but Balladur was elected with 54.2% of the vote.

In March 2004, she was elected to the Conseil régional d'Île-de-France on the list of Jean-Paul Huchon.

As part of the internal campaign for the nomination of the Socialist candidate in 2006, she publicly supported Dominique Strauss-Kahn, while remaining close to Lionel Jospin and Bertrand Delanoë. With other female leaders of the Socialist Party, she criticized the "peoplelisation" of politics, referring to the promotion of Ségolène Royal as a popularist widely-identifiable member of the Socialist Party, rather than a classical Marxist.

In June 2007, she was a candidate at the legislative elections for the 13th arrondissement of Paris and had in the first round 28.2%, against 36.6% for the UMP candidate Jean-François Lamour, and was beaten on the second round with 56.7% for Lamour.

First Deputy Mayor of Paris

In the 2001 municipal elections in Paris, she led the list of the Socialist Party in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, which obtained 26.5% of the votes in the first round, then reached the second round behind the list of Édouard Balladur and the outgoing mayor. René Galy-Dejean. Elected Borough Councilor in the 15th arrondissement, she also joined the Paris Council, where the left is now the majority.

The new mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, wishing to apply parity within his administration and among his deputies, appointed her as the first deputy responsible for gender equality and the time office. Close to François Hollande, she thus obtained her first elective mandate. In 2002, she acted as mayor of Paris during the convalescence of Bertrand Delanoë after he was stabbed during an attempted assassination.[14] She confided at the same time to consider a candidacy for mayor of Toulouse in 2008.

In June 2002, as a candidate in parliamentary elections in the 12th constituency of Paris, she won 29.6% of the vote in the first and only round against 54.2% of the vote for incumbent Édouard Balladur, who was re-elected. She also failed to remove the 13th constituency of Paris from the right in June 2007, obtaining in the first round of legislative elections 28.2% of the vote, then 43.3% of the votes in the second round against 56.7% for the former minister Jean-François Lamour (UMP).

In the municipal elections of March 9 and 16, 2008, the assembly list (PS-PCF-PRG-MRC) that she conducts in the 15th arrondissement of Paris came first in the first round with 35.9% of the vote (28 313 votes) against a strongly divided right, 33.9% to Philippe Goujon's UMP list and 10.1% to Gérard d'Aboville's list (various right). In the second round, his list obtained 47.35% of the votes against 52.65% obtained by Philippe Goujon, whose list merged with that of Gérard d'Aboville. Anne Hidalgo remained first Deputy Mayor under Bertrand Delanoë. She was then responsible for town planning and architecture and seats for the board of directors of the Parisian Urban Planning Workshop.

In 2017, an article from Capital stated that Anne Hidalgo was paid by the Ministry of Labor from 2001 to 2003 for €100,000, while being Bertrand Delanoë's first assistant. Anne Hidalgo's office indicated that she will file a complaint for defamation.

Regional Advisor of Île-de-France

After the 2004 regional elections, she was elected to the Ile-de-France Regional Council after being voted for Paris on the list conducted at the regional level by Jean-Paul Huchon. She is a member of the Committee on Transport and Traffic and is the Chair of the Regional AIDS Information and Prevention Center (CRIPS).
In the 2010 regional elections, the list of PS she leads in Paris comes in second place in the first round, with 26.3% of the vote, behind the list led by Chantal Jouanno (28.9%) and in front of Europe Ecology list of Robert Lion (20.6%). In the second round, his list took the lead with 57.9% of the votes cast, winning in the 1st and 5th districts, two bastions traditionally anchored on the right. Re-elected as regional councilor, she joined the culture commission and became president of Île-de-France Europe, which represents the region in Brussels. Jean-Luc Romero succeeds him to the presidency of the CRIPS. As mayor of Paris, she does not represent herself in the Region.

Mayoral Elections

In 2012 Anne Hidalgo announced her intention to seek the succession of Bertrand Delanoe in the municipal elections of 2014 in Paris. The only candidate of her party after the withdrawal of Jean-Marie Le Guen, Anne Hidalgo was appointed May 22, 2013 to lead the municipal campaign, with 98.3% of the votes of 2,715 Paris socialists. She appointed Pascal Cherki spokesperson for her campaign, assisted by Bruno Julliard, Rémi Féraud (also co-director of the campaign with Jean-Louis Missika), Ian Brossat (after the PS-PCF agreement), Colombe Brossel, Seybah Dagoma and Myriam El Khomri. On October 10, 2013, she was re-elected as the head of the PS list in the 15th arrondissement.

On March 30, 2014, at the end of the second round of municipal elections, the lists she led won a majority in the Paris Council. In the 15th arrondissement, her list was beaten by Philippe Goujon (UMP), which got 63.4% of the vote in the second round. For the first time, a candidate thus accesses the mayor of Paris without being in the majority in her district. On April 5, 2014, she was elected by the Paris Council, becoming the first woman to hold this position. Paris being also a department, she also became president of the departmental council of Paris, and one of ten women (out of 101) presidents of county councils.

She was elected First Vice President of the Métropole du Grand Paris on 22 January 2016, ex officio to her mayoral position.

On June 28, 2020, Hidalgo was reelected as mayor of Paris, winning 52% of ballots cast.[15] There was a record low voter turnout in the second round of the municipal elections (64%) which were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] Hidalgo's campaign focused on turning Paris into a 15-minute city (Ville Du Quart D’Heure),[17] aiming to make neighbourhoods more self-sufficient within each arrondissement in Paris having its own with grocery stores, parks, cafes, sports facilities, health centres, schools and offices accessible by a short walk or bike ride.[18]

Hidalgo is included in Time magazine 's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.[19]

In December 2020, she received a fine from the national government, after she named 11 women out of 16 in her upper management in violation of a rule of the French Civil Service Ministry allowing a maximum of 60% of one gender in leadership positions.[20]

Political views

DADVSI

On 21 December 2005, in the debates on DADVSI, she took a public stand against the amendments of the Socialist Group introducing the "global licence" to download online material. On 26 December, she signed with Christophe Girard, Deputy Mayor of Paris responsible for Culture, a view published in the newspaper Le Monde defending her position on behalf of cultural diversity which would be threatened by the "global licence."[21] Some people contend that she was in fact defending the interests of Vivendi Universal, the music and film company which employed her a few years earlier.

On 3 January 2006, she presented with François Adibi and the Socialist Party's Culture Section a report and new recommendations "for a fair solution", rejecting both the DRM (Digital Rights Management) and the "global licence." She was later ostracised by the PS leadership which chose to defend in the National Assembly the "global licence" advocated by Patrick Bloche (Paris), Didier Mathus (Saône-et-Loire) and Christian Paul (Nièvre).

Anti-cult fight

In 2005, Hidalgo took a stand in the debate on cults in France, becoming the president of a committee of vigilance against the cults at the Council of Paris. She was especially opposed to the Church of Scientology and New Acropolis, and participated in a demonstration in front of the Church of Scientology's premises.[22][23] A map of cults in Paris, created by the Mairie de Paris at that time and promoted by Anne Hidalgo, was controversial[24] and Hidalgo filed a complaint against an unknown person for circulating a leaflet on the Internet signed by a "committee to support Anne Hidalgo", which requested denunciation of "non-compliant behaviours."[23] Anne Hidalgo denies any link with this supposed support committee. A complaint that she brought against the head of the organization that circulated the leaflet was later dismissed.[25]

Environmental issues

From May 2016, in order to combat air pollution in the city, Hidalgo oversaw the introduction of a scheme called "Paris Respire" (literally "Paris Breathes"), which included banning all cars from certain areas of Paris on the first Sunday of the month, as well as making public transport and the city's bicycle and electric vehicle schemes free for the day.[26][27] She also worked further to reduce car usage, with an increase in the price of parking meters, a ban on free parking on certain days, and the conversion of certain sections of a highway along the River Seine into a riverside park.[28] On 24 June 2017, she joined French President Emmanuel Macron in calling for the adoption of a Global Pact for the Environment along with other public figures such as Laurent Fabius, Nicolas Hulot, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Ban Ki-moon.[29]

She has also proposed a ban on diesel motors in Paris streets,[30] and has promised to have a 24/7 service for the Paris Métro.[31] Hidalgo is aiming to have more than 600 mi (970 km) of bike lanes in Paris by 2020.[32]

In February 2020, Hidalgo launched her Paris Mayor re-election campaign with a focus on making Paris into a 15-minute city (Ville Du Quart D’Heure), a concept of urban proximity coined by Carlos Moreno. The name 15-minute city refers to the idea that in cities, residents of each neighbourhood should be able to reach all necessary amenities (such as schools, offices, shops, parks, health centres) by a 15-minute walk or bike ride, moving away from car dependency in order to cut air pollution levels.[33]

In an interview given to Le Parisien in October 2020, Hidalgo announced "we must forget about crossing Paris from east to west by car"[34] [35] Hidalgo announced her intention to create permanent curb-protected cycle lanes and expand the number of "coronapistes", cycle lanes created during the COVID-19 pandemic.[36] She also intends to remove over half of the parking spaces in Paris by the end of her four-year term in office (70,000 out of 140,000 total)[37]

In January 2021, Hidalgo announced that she had approved a €250m renovation of the Champs-Élysées, with the intention of reducing space allocated to vehicles by half, turning roads into green and pedestrianised areas and planting tunnels of trees to improve air quality.[38]

Housing

At the start of her first term, Hidalgo stated in an interview that housing is her number one priority.[39] Under Hidalgo's Mayorship, Paris has produced 7,000 social housing units a year since Hidalgo took office, up from 5,000 a year under her predecessor. She aims for Paris to be 30% social housing by 2030.[40]

Personal life

Hidalgo is fluent in French and Spanish.

Hidalgo resides in the 15th arrondissement of Paris with her second husband Jean-Marc Germain, a Socialist Member of Parliament, and their son Arthur.[1] Arthur Germain is the youngest Frenchman to swim the English Channel. She also has a daughter and a son from her first marriage, both grown up.

Hidalgo had a Catholic education. She is an outspoken atheist.[41][42][43]

Other activities

• Paris Europlace, Member of the Board of Directors[44]

Honours

• Commander, Order of Isabella the Catholic (2010), "in recognition of successful Spanish integration in France";[45]
• Chevalier, Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur (2012).[46]
• Commander, Order of the Polar Star (2014)[47]
• Dame Grand Cross, Order of Civil Merit (2015).
• Chevalier, Ordre national du Lion (2016).
• "Yerevan Mayor Gold Medal", 2016[48]

Bibliography

• Une femme dans l'arène, published in June 2006, Le Rocher editions, co-written with Jean-Bernard Senon, preface by Bertrand Delanoë ISBN 2268059618
• Travail au bord de la crise de nerfs, published in October, 2010, co-written with Jean-Bernard Senon ISBN 2081245221

References

1. Jérôme Bonnet, 'To be Mayor is to work 24 hours a day', FT Weekend Magazine (Financial Times supplement), February 28/March 1, 2015, pp. 18–21
2. "'Paris has changed permanently': a day on duty with mayor Anne Hidalgo". the Guardian. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
3. "Paris faces even tighter lockdown restrictions". The Independent. 2020-11-05. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
4. "France prepares for curfew in Paris and other cities as Covid-19 cases surge". France 24. 2020-10-15. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
5. "Covid-19: Transmission fears spark bicycle frenzy in post-lockdown Paris". France 24. 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
6. Reid, Carlton. "Paris Mayor: 'Forget Crossing Through The City By Car'". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
7. Willsher, Kim (2021-01-10). "Paris agrees to turn Champs-Élysées into 'extraordinary garden'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
8. Yeung, Peter. "How '15-minute cities' will change the way we socialise". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
9. "La nouvelle vie d'Anne Hidalgo". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 2009-07-23.
10. "Una gaditana en la alcaldía de París". El País (in Spanish). 1 April 2001. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
11. "Biographie Anne Hidalgo". www.linternaute.com. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
12. Vaillant, Luc Le (2012-10-02). "Anne Hidalgo. Cosmopolitique". Libération.fr (in French). Retrieved 2020-05-02.
13. Anne Hidalgo, 53 ans, retraitée depuis juillet 2011, Atlantico, 9 avril 2013.
14. "Egalité, Fraternité, Insécurité". Slate. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
15. Reid, Carlton. "Anne Hidalgo Reelected As Mayor Of Paris Vowing To Remove Cars And Boost Bicycling And Walking". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
16. Corbet, Sylvie (June 29, 2020) "Paris mayor reelected, green wave in France local elections", ABC News. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
17. Reid, Carlton. "Anne Hidalgo Reelected As Mayor Of Paris Vowing To Remove Cars And Boost Bicycling And Walking". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
18. Willsher, Kim (2020-02-07). "Paris mayor unveils '15-minute city' plan in re-election campaign". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
19. "Anne Hidalgo: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020". Time. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
20. Rosenblum, Darren. "When The State Levies Fines On Feminism". Forbes.
21. Anne Hidalgo and Christophe Girard (2005-12-27). "Coup dur pour la création". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2009-07-23.
22. "Il faut en finir avec la secte de la Scientologie" (in French). Anne Hidalgo. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
23. "Manifestation contre la Scientologie" (in French). Nouvel Observateur, 11 October 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
24. "Sectes à Paris : protestation de la Scientologie et de Nouvelle Acropole" (in French). Sectes-infos. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
25. "Anne Hidalgo déboutée par la 17ème Chambre correctionnelle" (in French). Coordiap. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
26. Anzilotti, Eillie (2016-04-29). "Starting May 8, Sundays on the Champs Elysées Will Be a Car-Free Experience". CityLab. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
27. "Paris Respire" (in French). Retrieved 2016-12-12.
28. "Paris imposes driving restrictions, plans clunker ban as smog hits highs". Reuters. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
29. "The project for a Global Environment Pact progresses". www.medef.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-09-25.
30. "Paris ban on Diesel". Associated Press. Feb 9, 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
31. https://www.themayor.eu/it/anne-hidalgo-the-mayor-of-paris-and-her-goal-for-a-green-city
32. Nossiter, Adam (2019-10-05). "The Greening of Paris Makes Its Mayor More Than a Few Enemies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
33. "Paris mayor unveils '15-minute city' plan in re-election campaign". the Guardian. 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
34. Reid, Carlton. "Paris Mayor: 'Forget Crossing Through The City By Car'". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
35. Alimi, Par Jannick; à 20h13, Christine Henry et Charlotte Robinet Le 2 octobre 2020; À 12h39, Modifié Le 3 Octobre 2020 (2020-10-02). "Anne Hidalgo : «Il faut oublier la traversée de Paris d'est en ouest en voiture»". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2021-01-10.
36. Reid, Carlton. "Paris Mayor: 'Forget Crossing Through The City By Car'". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
37. Reid, Carlton. "Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo To Make Good On Pledge To Remove Half Of City's Car Parking Spaces". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
38. "Paris approves plan to turn Champs-Élysées into 'extraordinary garden'". the Guardian. 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
39. Willsher, Kim (2014-07-27). "'My absolute priority is housing,' says Paris' first female mayor". LA Times. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
40. Kinniburgh, Colin (2020-11-03). "Paris's new public housing push aims to offset soaring rents". France24. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
41. Le Monde: "Anne Hidalgo, première dame" Par Béatrice Gurrey 04.04.2014| "Pour cette athée farouche, fille de républicains espagnols, élevée dans la religion catholique, la Terre sainte est devenue familière"
42. Atlantico: "Quand Anne Hidalgo s'essaie à l'anglais pour critiquer Donald Trump, c'est...très gênant" 13 Mai 2016
43. « À Cadix, Hidalgo soigne son image en pensant à 2014 », Le Figaro, mis en ligne le 28 septembre 2012
44. Board of Directors Paris Europlace.
45. "Anne Hidalgo décorée par le roi d'Espagne". Le Parisien (in French). Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
46. "Légion d'honneur : Simone Veil, Juliette Gréco, Michel Blanc au menu de la promotion 2012". Le Monde.fr. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
47. "Ambassadeur de Suède on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
48. Paris Mayor awarded with Yerevan Mayor Gold Medal

External links

• Official website (French)
• Appearances on C-SPAN