Pont-Saint-Esprit: Gérome Bouvier passes the torch to Valère Segal, the opposition denounces a “hold-up”

In April 2024, during a marathon municipal campaign, the radiologist and running mate Valère Segal alongside Gérome Bouvier, then head of the list, organized a press conference on the theme of health. C. B. – Midi Libre

Barely a month and a half after his great victory at the town hall of Pont-Saint-Esprit, Gérome Bouvier has once again created a surprise this Friday, June 14, by announcing his resignation via a press release.

Elected in the first round as mayor of Pont-Saint-Esprit barely a month and a half ago, Gérome Bouvier has once again created a surprise this Friday, June 14, by announcing his resignation via a press release. At the start of the week, the elected official had already indicated that he was withdrawing  "for health reasons", his office then explained. The powers of the mayor were consequently transferred to the first deputy Claude Conan who acted in the interim. By announcing his resignation from the post of mayor and the mandate of municipal councilor this Friday, Gérome Bouvier ipso facto signs his return to civilian life. The one he knew as a town hall official or trade unionist ready to step up to defend the childminders of the Pont-Saint-Esprit schools.   

He would have pleaded for Segal to be head of the list

At the same time, he demonstrates that he is not a power junkie. The elected official did not necessarily see himself as the leader of a list that he nevertheless put together. The short-lived mayor of Pont-Saint-Esprit had for a time pleaded in favor of the radiologist whom he saw well in the role of mayor of Pont-Saint-Esprit. But the practitioner had declined. It was then that Gérome Bouvier agreed to take on his responsibilities by becoming leader of the team before giving it up definitively this Friday, June 14. But this time, Doctor Valère Segal agreed to take up the torch.

The municipal adventure therefore ends prematurely for Gérome Bouvier, a quiet family man, affectionately considered in Pont-Saint Esprit as a "child of the country& quot;. His unexpected renunciation nevertheless leaves a taste of unfinished business and even bitterness for the residents who had voted for him in the hope that he would carry out his program and change their lives. Director of the mayor's office, Bernard Seu salutes the work carried out in two months by the councilor: "He worked tirelessly during the electoral campaign and continued after being elected ."

His team pays tribute to him  

The members of the municipal team paint the portrait of their leader "of a simple man". They praise "its ability to bring together people of different sensibilities". This relative pays tribute: "The mayor is very tired. He did the job. I wish him a speedy recovery. She’s a beautiful person."   

At the heart of controversies

Claire Lapeyronie's successor throws in the towel and passes the torch to Valère Segal, a radiologist in Bagnols-sur-Cèze and Pont-Saint-Esprit. This may be the epilogue of a saga that began on the evening of his election as mayor of Pont-Saint-Esprit. Gèrome Bouvier and his running mates have had a more than complicated start to their term. The very next day, the new elected official found himself at the heart of a controversy concerning his status as a member of the Horizons party, which some accused him of having kept quiet about during the election campaign. There was also the complaint he filed last week for identity theft: during the election campaign, emails were allegedly sent in his name and with the precision that he was a member of the Horizons party. An investigation was opened.

The opposition questions the “sincerity of the vote”

Everyone who reacted to this This resignation wishes, first of all, a speedy recovery. the former mayor. Claire Lapeyronie, now an opposition municipal councilor within the Pont d'abord group, wrote this Friday, June 14 in a press release: : "All ça for ça… […] Ce hold -up programmed of this municipal election is ludicrous. The Spiripontans chose Gérome Bouvier on April 28, and not Monsieur Valère Segal. […].The The house of cards is collapsing and the Spiripontains can legitimately feel betrayed in this story. This situation is scandalous: how can you trust anyone? this team that doesn't know where to go she is going to move our city forward ? After the resignation of Jean-Paul Lopez at the beginning of the week, today is the mayor. And tomorrow ?" 

Battle of communiqués   

The mayor's office obviously responded; by a new offensive "to the hold-up" of which Claire Lapeyronie speaks:  "She was the one who organized it’ by tearing himself apart with his running mates […]. As for the qualifier d’ubuesque, we remind him of his score" : 14.84%, on April 28. "The Spiripontains don’need anyone to know that G&rome Bouvier is a man of integrity, honesty (…)" &Evoking the resignation of Daniel Mouchetant, the press release of the mayor's office questions à his turn about  "new dissensions à Pont d’Abord ?Yet there are only two éselected & the council table, ironically says the municipal text! We are keen &agrav; reassure residents, the team is at work"  adds the press release.
The Spiripontain Renewal (RN) group invited itself to the event. in the pass of arms through the voice of its leader Emmanuel Le Pargneux. Voilaà which bodes well for one of a kind & debates during the next municipal council which will be devoted to à the election of a new mayor. "We question the sincerityé of the municipal vote […]. This one was already there. tainted dissincerity, since the Spiripontans learned on the evening of the election that their candidate, said to be apolitical throughout the campaign, & ;eacute;e was actually insertedé in a majority party presidential election. We share the weariness of the Spiripontains, in a municipal situation as chaotic as with the previous team." The RN says it is worried about the city, “plunged into a political slump which we wanted to put an end to in 2024”.
The deputy RN and opposition municipal councilor Pierre Meurin also makes his comment: "The Spiripontains voted for an apolitical list and for a local child. We see that he has a Macronist label, Horizons, and that he is not in the same category. even to exercise the function of mayor. This casts doubt on the sincerity of the decision. of the April 28 ballot."

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