On 3 March 2020, the three municipal candidates debated for an hour and a half during the Great Debate organized jointly by the Dauphiné Libéré and TV 8 Mont-Blanc.
The three candidates compared their ideas on housing, tourism & transport at the Folie Douce, in front of a hundred people.
The three strong personalities who seek to become mayor of Chamonix for the next six years carried an interesting and engaging debate on 3 March 2020.
One is the well-known Éric Fournier, the outgoing mayor, confident of his records and experience, seeking a third term.
Jean Fabre, wishes to alternate this "hegemonic power" and his experience as a former prefect adds great value to his candidacy.
The third candidate is François-Xavier Laffin, a real estate agent, who also believes that the valley "is going badly" and insists on the climate emergency.
Cost of Living
The debate opened on the issue of housing, a key theme in the municipality of Chamonix, that has lost 1,500 residents in ten years, in particular because of the cost of living.
As a good current mayor, Eric Fournier defended his record: "We have built 848 social housing in recent years and 181 seasonal housing, so Chamonix now has more than 25% of accessible housing. But we are aware that we will have to invent new forms to limit land speculation in second homes. "
His opponent François-Xavier Laffin desires to keep "the collective heritage as much as possible instead of selling it", to exempt of notary fees for young households & the taxation of second homes.
Transport
Other central campaign themes in Chamonix include transportation.
"Our system of free circulation in buses and trains is efficient", underlined Eric Fournier.
On the contrary, François-Xavier Laffin says that "the system does not work. We have a problem with the quality of the buses. And we have not seen the flow of light vehicles reduce in the centre of Chamonix".
François-Xavier Laffin proposed the creation of a multi-storey super-car park at Le Grépon to "unclog the city centre".
Jean Fabre, for his part, declared: "Of course, everyone today wants to develop soft transport. But the problem with the valley is also the outside traffic of excursionists' trucks and cars. The piggybacking of Lyon-Turin trains must be encouraged".
The candidates' opinions of the debate
François Xavier-Laffin: "It was a frank and dynamic exchange. I am used to confrontation because I come from the associative world of sport. We have clearly seen our differences. For me, it was an opportunity to highlight our proximity approach. We really want to put everyone around the table and create synergies, which has not been done for years. I was supported by members of my team, many of whom made the trip, as well as my family. "
Jean Fabre: "This debate has allowed me to get to know my opponents better, we are three very different personalities and it is very good that there are three lists rather than two for democratic debate. But I would have liked to talk more about the past, which would have made it easier to understand the proposed measures. They expected concrete answers from me, but I don't want to do demagoguery. Once in office, like when I was prefect, I will take care of the technical details. That's why I preferred to talk about the big options. "
Éric Fournier: "I like debates. It’s a fundamental exercise. It’s good to have been able to touch on some things and see our contradictions. But I did not see anything concrete in the proposals of my opponents. There is a polarization around me to say that I monopolize power and that nothing is going well, but few real proposals. Of course, I have to improve. I would have liked to address in this debate governance and participatory democracy that I would like to develop. "
