He is the second Green mayor who will not run in 2026, along with Eric Piolle in Grenoble, out of loyalty to a campaign promise to limit himself to two terms. After having brought Annecy under the Green banner for the first time in its history in 2020, François Astorg has decided not to run in the next municipal elections, a “personal choice,” he told Ici pays de Savoie and Le Monde this Friday, May 16.
“Today, I want to take a break from politics. “This term has been exhilarating, exciting, but also difficult and sometimes a bit exhausting,” explained the 64-year-old mayor, who is a “diverse Green.” François Astorg was part of the Green wave that brought several Green elected officials to the leadership of major cities in 2020, but led a very diverse majority, with elected officials close to LFI and Horizons, regularly marked by tensions.
“There is an element of fatigue, but it’s not wear and tear […] and it’s not a failure. I think my opponents will rewrite history, they’ll put their own spin on it on social media, but I tell you: it’s above all a personal choice,” he insisted. It was “incredibly hard to see [children] seriously injured,” he added, referring to a knife attack on children by a Syrian refugee at a playground near the lake on June 8, 2023. The mayor himself, who received death threats, recalled having to be placed under police protection. “Today, I think the Republic is not protecting its elected officials enough,” he said.
However, François Astorg said he was “proud” of his record, particularly “the transformation of public spaces and mobility in the city.” “It’s a real source of pride because it addresses climate change and improves quality of life,” he said. Asked about his possible support for another candidate in his camp, the mayor did not name a name but believes that “the ideal candidate for the next elections is the person who will have the courage to continue this transition and maintain the city’s project on an ecological and social axis.”
