Rachida Dati, the culture minister of France, has announced her resignation to pursue the mayoralty of Paris in the upcoming election. In an interview with a prominent publication, she expressed her intentions to challenge for the city's leadership.
Appointed in 2024 by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal as part of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist cabinet, Dati's tenure has been marked by mixed reviews. Critics have described her time in office as more focused on media appearances than substantive accomplishments, highlighting issues in live entertainment and public broadcasting.
A member of the center-right party Les Républicains, Dati previously held significant roles, including spokesperson and minister of justice under former President Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as serving in the European Parliament from 2009 to 2019.
In her prior campaign for Paris mayor in 2020, Dati faced off against incumbent Anne Hidalgo, who has announced she will not seek reelection this time. The frontrunner now is Emmanuel Grégoire, another Socialist party member. Current polls indicate a competitive race, with Dati gaining momentum in potential runoff scenarios.
During her interview, Dati framed her candidacy as a means to "break the glass ceiling," emphasizing her identity as a minority woman in politics. With Moroccan and Algerian heritage, she made history as the first Muslim woman to hold a significant government position in France. Despite her affiliation with Les Républicains, she has distanced herself from the party's more extreme anti-immigrant views.
Dati has criticized the current administration's record, stating that Paris is facing challenges such as rising debt, cleanliness issues, and increased crime rates, attributing these problems to the policies of the Socialist party. She noted a significant population decline in Paris since 2012, which she believes is linked to these governance issues.
The election for the mayor of Paris is scheduled for March 15, with a potential runoff on March 22 if no candidate secures a majority.
In addition to her political ambitions, Dati faces a legal hurdle, as she is set to undergo a trial in September concerning allegations of corruption linked to her time in the European Parliament. She is accused of receiving substantial payments from the automotive company Renault, which she claims were for legal consultancy, while prosecutors argue they were for lobbying, a violation of EU regulations.
As for her successor at the Ministry of Culture, reports suggest that Catherine Pégard, Macron's cultural advisor and former head of the Palace of Versailles, is a leading candidate for the position.
