“Exhausted by the task”: a mayor of Seine-Saint-Denis announces her temporary withdrawal to preserve her mental health
By The New Obs with AFP
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Aubervilliers Mayor Karine Franclet (left) and Seine-Saint-Denis President Stéphane Troussel in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris, on May 17, 2023. OLEG CETINIC/AP/SIPA
Karine Franclet, mayor of Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), announced on Friday evening her temporary withdrawal from her political functions, citing "deep fatigue" and the desire to "take time to come back better" .
In 2020, this principal of a vocational high school in Aubervilliers had conquered the then communist municipality under the UDI banner. Through her approach, Karine Franclet wants to "break the taboo" of the mental health of elected officials. "I wanted to be 200%. When you become mayor, you have to master a whole bunch of subjects. I can't defend a file without mastering it completely," she told "Le Figaro" , explaining that she had "exhausted herself with the task" .
She addressed the Albertivillarians directly in a letter published on social networks. "In recent months, I have felt a deep fatigue take hold of me, insidiously. I wanted to ignore the signs, to move forward at all costs, as is expected of an elected official, with the demands that my commitment implies (...) Until my limits imposed themselves on me."
"I have chosen, for a few weeks, to temporarily step back from my duties to take care of myself and regain all the energy necessary for the mission you have entrusted to me," she continues.
"This decision is not a renunciation, quite the contrary"Urban renovation projects, the arrival of the extension of metro line 12, crime, the installation of a crack user camp... In recent years, the city of Aubervilliers has had to deal with several issues.
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Although stuck to Paris and its 19th arrondissement, Aubervilliers remains a very popular city that must face a high poverty rate, 42% according to the latest available data from INSEE (2021). Of all the municipalities of Seine-Saint-Denis bordering the capital, from Saint-Ouen to Montreuil via Saint-Denis and Pantin, Aubervilliers is the one with the highest poverty rate.
"This decision is not a renunciation, quite the contrary. I want to continue to fight for Aubervilliers, with all the energy that this city deserves, because there is still so much to do and I want to keep our promises," writes Karine Franclet. During her absence, current affairs will be managed by the municipal team.
By The New Obs with AFP
