Being mayor of a French commune means having the power to sign a presidential candidacy. A power that Philippe Célestin Marshal mayor of Balagny-sur-Thérain (Oise) used to… self-sponsor. But why did you make such a choice?
The law allows an elected representative to self-sponsor, that is to say to bring one of the 500 signatures necessary for the validation of his presidential candidacy. A choice made by Anne Hidalgo, Fabien Roussel or even Philippe Célestin Maréchal. But the latter, mayor of a town of 1,690 inhabitants in the Oise, is not a candidate like the others.
“My spontaneous application is something that was done to relieve us of a very heavy workload because the town hall secretaries were overwhelmed by calls and requests for sponsorships, explains the mayor. So we will say that the self-sponsorship was done mechanically to allow a more serene work.
a mayor who wants to remain unlabeled
A decision fully assumed by Philippe Célestin Maréchal, mayor without a label elected for the first time in 2020, who believes that no other choice would have been possible. “I am here to defend a municipality where everyone has their own political opinions, he explains, I cannot commit myself to my population, I presented myself without a label and I must remain without a label.”
If it includes the candidates who are looking for their missing signatures, Philippe Célestin Maréchal repeats it, the system disrupts the work of small municipalities. “The municipalities of 50,000, 100,000 inhabitants have much more time to manage these files, they have people who can do it.”
“With us, the town hall secretaries are already busy with a lot of files and are also overwhelmed by calls for sponsorship. So yes I only have one voice but I don’t mind using it for my town hall”, explains the mayor, who concludes with humor: “and then it allowed everyone to know my middle name. »
Thus, on February 10, according to the figures of the Constitutional Council, Philippe Célestin Maréchal, had a signature, his own.