The mayor of Saint-Etienne, Gaël Perdriau, at the criminal division of the Lyon court, on December 1, 2025. OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP
The sentence fell like an axe. Found guilty of blackmail, embezzlement of public funds and criminal conspiracy, Gaël Perdriau, 53, the mayor of Saint-Etienne, France, was handed a five-year sentence, of which one year was suspended, a €50,000 fine, and a five-year ban on holding public office, all with immediate enforcement. "Mr. Perdriau, you can no longer serve as mayor of Saint-Etienne," Brigitte Vernay, president of the 16th chamber of the Lyon criminal court, made clear as she delivered the verdict on Monday, December 1.
The mayor will be incarcerated in the coming weeks, once prosecutors summon him. His resignation will be formalized by a decree from the local prefect, ending his second term. The procedure will be similar to that of Nicolas Sarkozy, who recently spent three weeks in prison after being handed a five-year sentence he has appealed.
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