21 months later, back to square one. The Council of State on Thursday annulled the decision of the Grenoble administrative court and finally validated the result of the municipal elections in Annemasse. Socialist Christian Dupessey remains mayor of the city he has led since 2008.
Abstention at the heart of the debates
After his defeat in the first round on March 15, 2020, the current opposition adviser Maxime Gaconnet (DVD) filed an appeal for annulment, contesting the result due to a very strong abstention which had reached 72.21% in Annemasse, just before the first confinement linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. Christian Dupessey was reelected by a short head, with 50.02% of the vote. The highest French administrative court ultimately considers that the participation rate and the health context are not likely to call the ballot into question.
“A real relief” – Christian Dupessey
“We had confidence in the positive outcome of the appeal we made to the Council of State“reacted Thursday evening the mayor of the second city of Haute-Savoie in a press release,”this decision is a real relief“.
On Thursday, the Council of State also rendered its decision on the appeal for annulment filed by Jean-Luc Rigaut, who disputes his defeat by 27 votes in the second round of the municipal elections in Annecy. He comforted the ecologist François Astorg in his chair as mayor. The inhabitants of the two main towns of Haute-Savoie are now fixed until 2026.