2026 Municipal Elections: In Chatou, Senator Éric Dumoulin wants to regain the town hall

We will definitely have to count on him in March 2026. Éric Dumoulin, former mayor (DVD) of Chatou who entered the Senate in the fall of 2024 to replace Sophie Primas (LR) who then became a minister, announced it this Monday afternoon on social networks: he will be a candidate in the next municipal elections.

The elected official's decision is far from surprising. Before joining the Luxembourg Palace, Éric Dumoulin had handed over the reins to his first deputy, Michèle Grellier , while specifying that his situation, linked to that of Sophie Primas, could only be temporary.

But also that the situation was perfectly clear with the new mayor. "There's not a cigarette paper between us," he insisted this Monday. As proof, Michèle Grellier, who "validated" Éric Dumoulin's post, will return in second place on her list.

"My core mandate is definitely that of mayor of Chatou," explains Eric Dumoulin, who will therefore have to resign from his position as senator.

"I've already warned Gérard Larcher (Editor's note: the LR president of the Senate, whose running mate he is in Yvelines )," he explains. "I also announced it internally (in Chatou). It seems like the elections are getting closer. I felt it was the right time."

Even though he claims to have "done everything that was planned" during the mandate, the future candidate will not seek investiture but generally benefits from the support "across the entire spectrum from the center to the right."

Éric Dumoulin says he still has "plenty of projects and ideas" for his city. Roads, undergrounding of utilities, urban renewal, swimming pool renovation... the priorities for the coming years have been established.

It remains to be seen who Éric Dumoulin will be pitted against. For now, calm reigns, and his candidacy could well silence certain inclinations from all sides.

In 2020, the current senator almost ran alone. The left-wing opposition list declared itself at the very last moment. Éric Dumoulin then won in the first round with 75.21% of the vote.

"I hope I don't find myself in the same situation as six years ago," he says. "If only for the democratic debate."