Legislatives: why Benoît Chauvin is running
Benoît Chauvin has been a committed politician for several years. "I think that politics improves people’s lives, since civil society alone cannot," he states. As a student (at the École Polytechnique, ENSAE and Sciences Po), he regularly attended debates at the National Assembly in Paris. Politically speaking, he is relatively centrist but with a great ecological sensibility. Also, in 1997, he participated in the legislative campaign for Corinne Lepage, Minister of the Environment, in the 11th and 12th arrondissements of Paris, and then for her presidential campaign in 2002. But it was in Saint-Barthélemy that he became a candidate for the first time. First for the territorial council, and then for the deputation in 2007. Until March 2017, he sat on the territorial council of Saint-Barth as well as on the executive council between 2012 and 2017.
He also ran for deputation in 2007 and 2012, but for personal reasons he withdrew his candidature at the last moment five years ago. This year, he is running again, without a label, with Sandra Cazabonne-Dubern as alternate, whom Saint-Martin residents could see on the MAP list (Louis Mussington) in 2012 and the Mocsam list (Julien Gumbs) during the latest territorial elections.
"The deputy is not there to undo in Paris what the Collectivité presidents are doing locally. Their role is to help what the Collectivité authorities have implemented, in order to improve the application of public policy locally," insists Benoît Chauvin. "I will be there to support the choices of Daniel Gibbs and Bruno Magras. I will defend the files in partnership with the presidents, senators, and elected officials of both Collectivités," he repeats.
He nevertheless listed certain files that he intends to defend in Paris. In no particular order: the establishment of a vice-rectorship in Paris, strengthening of bilingualism in schools, the renegotiation of the allowance for the compensation of charges, revision of the fiscal residence rule, etc. "But these are projects led by the Collectivités, not by the deputy. If I am elected, I will assist them," he reiterates.
"With the strength of [their] partisan independence," Benoît Chauvin and Sandra Cazabonne-Dubern also promise to support certain measures from the presidential majority (measures in favor of buying power, removal of the RSI, replacement of the CICE by a reduction in contributions, coverage of hearing and dental devices and glasses). But the duo hopes to "go further" with more ambitious laws regarding the environment, particularly the revalorization of the teaching profession.
