The French capital is poised to elect its first female mayor this weekend. This historic event was to have taken place after last Sunday’s municipal elections, which Socialist front-runner and deputy mayor Anne Hidalgo was expected to win, reports The Washington Post.
But she was upset by another top-tier candidate, who also happens to be a woman, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, a center-right contender from a prominent political family.
Since neither received more than 50 percent of the vote, they will face off on Sunday. The new madame le maire will take over one of the world’s most fabled cities, which, like most other major cities, also is facing economic, social and environmental challenges. The new female chief executive will run a metropolis that is home to more than 2 million people and oversee a $10.5 billion budget and more than 50,000 employees.
Kosciusko-Morizet made a point of taking the Métro after her surprise showing last weekend, a victory lap of sorts as well as a continued effort to present herself as a woman of the people. Hidalgo, meanwhile, has been busy meeting with members of other political parties, hoping to secure their backing.
Polls had shown Hidalgo, 54, as the clear leader in a crowded field of candidates. But, Kosciusko-Morizet, a protégé of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, unexpectedly won 35.64 percent of the vote to Hidalgo’s 34.4 percent.
Read more of this blog report from The Washington Post.