In Amiens, among the nine lists, three are led by parliamentary assistants. Damien Toumi, assistant to deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy, will represent the Rassemblement national (RN). Samy Olivier, who works for Aurélien Le Coq (Nord), leads the La France insoumise (LFI) list. Finally, Frédéric Fauvet, who heads a left-wing union list, was long the assistant to Socialist senator Rémi Cardon.
This situation is not only limited to large cities. For example, Thomas Batigne, assistant to The Republicans deputy Jean-Louis Thiériot (Seine-et-Marne), has been a municipal councilor in Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche (Yvelines), a town of 4,900 inhabitants, for ten years. This time, he has decided to lead a list with his name. He is not surprised to see many colleagues in his situation. “It makes sense. The role of mayor is becoming increasingly demanding, requiring technical skills, but also a network. Assistants have access to that.”
Moreover, “Engagement in public life is time-consuming. Our profession is compatible with such a career. It would be complicated if I worked in the private sector.” While the work of an assistant can be intense, it often allows the flexibility needed to fulfill an elected mandate. Parliament has also suspended its work until the second round of municipal elections on March 22.
In Grenoble, the LFI list is led by Allan Brunon, 26, who was a collaborator to deputy Gabriel Amard (Rhône) between 2022 and 2024. His candidacy is, for him, the result of “a natural momentum.” “In La France insoumise, parliamentary assistants are also political activists. Our concrete field experience allows us to take on responsibilities.”
According to political scientist Rémi Lefebvre, “One becomes an assistant because they want to become elected. It is a well-established path in the entire political spectrum.” Sébastien Lecornu, Olivier Faure, Gabriel Attal, Marine Tondelier—many leaders have been parliamentary assistants. “As this status is seen as unprestigious and temporary, running for elections is a natural progression for many assistants,” continues the political science professor.
