One socialist succeeds another. The former mayor of Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle (Loiret) Christophe Chaillou was elected on Sunday September 24 senator of Loiret, a seat left vacant by a great figure in political life, Jean-Pierre Sueur. The former mayor of Orléans from 1989 to 2001 announced in 2017 his intention not to serve one mandate too many: “I was elected for 42 years without interruption: ten years as a deputy, twelve years as mayor and twenty-two years senator, including two years as Minister of Local Authorities under François Mitterrand. Having reached the age of 76, I decided to stop with complete peace of mind.”
Co-rapporteur of the committee on the Alexandre Benalla affair
Published at the start of the school year, the last summary of the mandate of this specialist in city policies retraces his “fascinating” journey, during which he wrote around a hundred parliamentary reports (Senate and National embly), chaired the law committee in the Senate or took on the role of co-rapporteur of the Benalla commission, “which will have had the merit of demonstrating the importance of parliamentary control”, claims the elected official. “I was one of those who fought for all hearings to be public. So now we can no longer hold a commission of inquiry behind closed doors. This is very important for democracy”.
A political novel coming to bookstores
More locally, Jean-Pierre Sueur voted for an amendment in 2015 to change the name of the Center region – which became Centre-Val de Loire – of which he still says he is “very proud” today : “This name changes everything. It was stupid to have the châteaux of the Loire be called Center.”
This Rocardian, also attached to François Mitterrand, who was amazed by his surprise victory in the 1989 municipal elections, will devote his time to writing. This son of a journalist, with an agile pen, has already published in 2021 “Charles Péguy or the dizziness of writing” (editions du Cerf) and, three years earlier, “Victor Hugo in the Senate” (Corsair editions). A political novel is expected in bookstores in the coming weeks. As a tribute, Gérard Larcher, the President of the Senate, recommends, in a touch of humor, to publish the Memoirs – in several volumes – of Jean-Pierre Sueur. A way of saluting the constancy of the commitment, for 42 years.