Aurélien Véron, a business executive and elected official for the Republicans (LR) since 2020, is once again running for mayor of Paris-Centre, under the banner "Change Paris Centre with Aurélien Véron and Rachida Dati." A Paris and district councilor (34% of the vote in 2020), he leads a Republican and Liberal group focused on concrete solutions: reducing nighttime noise pollution, renovating existing social housing rather than building new structures, attracting the middle class back through less bureaucratic red tape, and reducing municipal staff (5,000 to 10,000 positions).
1. Population decline in central Paris
Le Marais Mood : Are you alarmed by the population decline in central Paris, with thousands of residents lost each year — particularly middle and lower-class families — between 2012 and 2026? What measures do you intend to use to retain them or bring them back (schools, services, housing, neighborhood life)?
Aurélien Véron: The population decline in Paris—from 2,2 million to 2,1 million inhabitants since 2014, with a projected 25% loss within the next 25 years according to INSEE (the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies)—is a major warning sign, exacerbated by current policies. I directly link it to excessive pedestrianization, which is transforming the city center into a veritable "giant Disneyland": streets overrun by mass tourism, a proliferation of low-cost shops (kebabs, T-shirts), nighttime disturbances, and a surge in tourist rentals like Airbnb, making neighborhoods unlivable for residents. This is destroying the spirit of the place, driving out the middle class, and calling for a rebalancing: less pedestrianization, more residential diversity, and more local services for residents.
2. Real estate prices and rents
Le Marais Mood : High property and rent prices are driving the middle class out of central Paris. What room for maneuver does the borough mayor have? What specific measures will you implement (pre-emption rights, regulations, family housing, dialogue with the City)?
Aurélien Véron: The City is massively buying up – for €250 to €300 million per year – converted apartments into one- or two-bedroom units for people working in the suburbs. The algorithm needs to be reversed: most leases should be converted into PLI (Prêt Locatif Intermédiaire – Intermediate Housing Loan) to benefit Parisians, public sector employees, and the middle class. A homeownership assistance program should be implemented for Parisian couples with an additional child who need an extra bedroom. Rent caps should be lifted for renovated apartments to ease the pressure on the rental market. Mass purchases that are driving prices up should be stopped. There's no magic bullet, but a coherent set of measures is needed. Rent caps are a misguided idea: they protect some tenants but reduce the supply. At €28/m² for a 12 m² apartment, rents don't cover interest, utilities, or property taxes. As a result, 23% of the housing stock is vacant (6% of which is due to energy performance certificates). Many landlords prefer not to rent or resort to Airbnb. We need to develop the mobility lease (1 to 10 months) for teachers, expatriates or consultants: higher rent, renewable, without the constraints of the classic lease.
3. Impact of Airbnb
Le Marais Mood : Has Airbnb become a "toxic business" in the touristy Marais district, particularly regarding the housing supply for residents? What measures are you considering (controls, quotas, sanctions)?
Aurélien Véron: Paris has approximately 70,000 listings on Airbnb: 50,000 genuine primary residences, 20,000 commercial properties (former offices or consulting rooms), and several thousand illegal listings. In some buildings, it's a nightmare: lockboxes, suitcases everywhere, overflowing garbage. Commercial Airbnb listings—nearly 80% of cases—transform apartments into tourist offices. The fight against fraud must be strengthened: the number of inspectors on the ground must be doubled (from 33 to 60), the city hall must be given full access to Airbnb databases, and penalties must be increased. The density in the Marais district, currently saturated, must also be reduced, and tourist accommodations must be better distributed. For secondary residences (10% of the total), a low-rent student rental program (€20/m²) could be introduced for nine months, followed by short-term rentals during the summer when the owner is away. This would promote student housing and generate declared secondary income. Finally, undeclared key boxes must be penalized, because furnished tourist accommodation currently benefits from an unfair tax advantage compared to long-term rentals.
4. Pop-up stores
Le Marais Mood : Are pop-up stores the "Airbnb of retail," weakening local businesses? How can this practice be regulated to preserve sustainable businesses?
Aurélien Véron: Mass pedestrianization is killing independent businesses, which are being replaced by large tourist chains (Martine, Nespresso). Mass tourism seeks standardization, not local specialties. Shopkeepers pay up to 50% more rent for high turnover, while small independent businesses struggle to maintain a loyal clientele. This transforms the neighborhood into a purely tourist zone and destroys local life. Short-term leases must be regulated, and a right of pre-emption must be exercised to protect essential businesses. Preserving a clientele from the greater Paris region—particularly from affluent suburbs—requires maintaining access by car and metro. Without this, shops close, as seen in Dijon. The balance to be found is between a vibrant residential area and loyal customers from the greater Paris region, and low-end mass tourism.
5. School canteens
Le Marais Mood : Chef Michel Sarran denounced the poor quality of school meals on his Instagram account (posting a photo of his granddaughter's tray as evidence). What is your assessment of the situation in central Paris, and what measures do you propose (organic food, local sourcing, menu control)?
Aurélien Véron: The meals do indeed seem bland. I'm not a fanatic about organic food, but organic, seasonal, and especially local produce isn't more expensive and is excellent for filling plates: carrots, pumpkins, Jerusalem artichokes… We also need to diversify the dishes and improve them with simple additions: herbs de Provence, a drizzle of olive oil, spices. It's inexpensive and enhances the flavors. We need to work closely with chefs, who are very keen to contribute to school meals. I also suggest exploring a simplified cuisine based on three basic but high-quality ingredients, to teach children to eat a varied diet.
6. Allegations of mistreatment in schools
Le Marais Mood : Allegations of mistreatment and sexual assault have been revealed in the after-school program at Paul Dubois elementary school and La Perle nursery school; Cash Investigation, in a program at the end of January, showed abuses (violence, mistreatment, humiliation…)What reforms do you foresee for the selection, training and control of personnel?
Aurélien Véron: Offering 1.5-hour-per-day contracts presents a real problem: this system doesn't attract qualified people. I want to reinstate the four-day school week, which would allow for full-time, better-paid, and more attractive after-school jobs for activity leaders with a BAFA qualification and greater cultural and sporting skills.
A clean criminal record and systematic checks of the sex offenders registry must also be required. Schools must be attentive to warning signs: social and legal investigations must be launched whenever necessary.
In terms of prevention, it is necessary to explain the limits to children without shocking them and to create a Parisian post-trauma center dedicated to sexual violence against minors, free and accessible within 48 hours, like the family planning center.
We also want the faces and names of all school and after-school staff to be visible online, on each school's website, so parents can identify the staff. These simple and transparent measures reassure families. Finally, we support age-appropriate sex education that clearly explains the concept of consent without introducing LGBT or STI topics too early.
7. Traffic in Paris
Le Marais Mood : Do you share the view that traffic has become "hellish" for residents, healthcare workers (like SOS Médecins) and shopkeepers? What changes would you propose?
Aurélien Véron: Yes. The ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) and the "1-minute city" concept have driven away the affluent suburbanites who used to frequent central Paris. Added to this is the prohibitive cost of parking: €18/hour. Travel times have doubled in most cases, due to the sheer number of one-way streets. There are 86 shops per 000 inhabitants in central Paris, compared to an average of 40 in the city as a whole. The clientele who used to shop on Saturdays—before going to a restaurant or the theater—has completely disappeared, especially those from the western suburbs. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons for the collapse in sales at BHV after 2020.
The absolute priority is to secure traffic: fine dangerous cyclists, reinstate strict traffic lights, especially towards Saint-Paul, and create separate and two-way cycle paths towards the quays on the right bank.
In the street, pedestrians must have priority, followed by cyclists (provided they obey traffic lights). Entire neighborhoods should not be pedestrianized, as this harms local life and fuels mass tourism at the expense of independent businesses.
We want to introduce more controls and penalties against uncivil behavior, whether it involves cyclists or motorists. We are also advocating for a review of the ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) and traffic plans in order to protect customers from the Paris region and other parts of France.
A city is first and foremost a marketplace: mobility—by car, bicycle, or public transport—must be encouraged, but without turning Paris into an amusement park. The risk would be to turn the city center into a new Venice, emptied of its families.
We also need to rethink tourism: better distribute places of interest between Paris and the Île-de-France (Saint-Denis, Fontainebleau, etc.), revitalize the tourist office and improve cleanliness and safety (rats, dealers, nighttime harassment on the boulevards and quays).
Our philosophy is based on a pragmatic and liberal approach to local issues, founded on listening to residents and taking action on the ground, far removed from any ideology. Born in Paris and a financially independent business executive, I advocate a demanding vision of heritage and culture—against the excesses of "awakening" and for excellence accessible to all—while ensuring a livable daily life: cleanliness, safety, reducing nuisances, and renovating existing social housing rather than building new structures.
We advocate for a free, clean, and vibrant Paris, with mixed transportation options (bikes and cars), regulation of tourist rentals, and support for quality businesses, in order to attract the middle class and prevent the city center from becoming a Disneyland. In short: listen, simplify, and protect the identity of the neighborhoods.
Text: Katia Barillot
02.03.26
