Jean-Pierre Giran: "The prince's or the mayor's good pleasure does not exist"

On January 3 at the Forum du Casino, the ceremony took place in the presence of many elected officials from Var, including François de Canson, vice-president of the Région Sud, appointed Knight of the Légion d'honneur in the promotion of January 1, 2026, and Stéphane Rambaud, MP for the 3rd constituency. The exercise of wishes is always perilous in an election year. Jean-Pierre Giran, mayor of Hyères and president of the Métropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée (TPM), respected strict neutrality, refraining from mentioning his record or his programmatic prospects so as not to violate the electoral code.

SOLIDARITY WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS

Surrounded by his deputies and municipal councilors — including some of his future political opponents —, Jean-Pierre Giran showed his solidarity with the emergency services. He mentioned the recent burglary of the city's firefighter station, inviting the audience to applaud the firefighters. Although presenting a record was forbidden, the mayor nevertheless addressed the major topics making headlines in Hyères: security, urban planning, and the territory's connectivity. Furthermore, the issue of the Toulon-Hyères airport occupied a central place in his speech. The platform has the unique feature of being mixed, used jointly by the Marine nationale and civil aviation, under the management of VINCI Airports. "Easements sometimes compromise certain projects," the mayor stressed, recalling the complexity of this cohabitation, which is rare in France. While praising "the exceptional efforts being made to maintain it," the chief magistrate expressed some frustration regarding service to the capital. He once again regretted "that the connections with Paris Orly are not what one might hope for."

WEIGHT OF LEGAL CONSTRAINTS

Finally, the mayor delivered a real presentation on administrative pedagogy, emphasizing the legislative straitjacket that frames municipal action, particularly in matters of the environment and urban planning: "All this means that we cannot embark on an adventure based on our own good pleasure. The prince's or the mayor's good pleasure does not exist." He illustrated these difficulties with concrete examples, such as the management of the homeless: "There are subjects for which the law does not provide a solution, such as for the homeless. When you issue decrees, as I did recently, the Ligue des droits de l'homme attacks you immediately. Even if we ended up winning." Administrative delays were also pointed out, with the mayor announcing a new referral to the administrative court of appeal regarding the building permit for a hotel in the harbor, a project that was nevertheless initiated eight years ago.

METROPOLITAN SPIRIT

In his capacity as president of TPM, Jean-Pierre Giran recalled the powers transferred to the intercommunality (roads, cleanliness, Plan Local d'Urbanisme). He even took a jab at his neighbor Christian Simon, mayor of La Crau, present in the audience: "The PLU is now intermunicipal, even if some, through skill, activity, or competence, have escaped it. I am thinking of the municipality of La Crau. It may be necessary in the future for a metropolitan spirit to develop a little."