Xavier Piechaczyk, in Saint-Nazaire, western France, on May 2, 2024. LOIC VENANCE/AFP
At the Assemblée Nationale on Wednesday, January 28, as at the Sénat a week earlier, Xavier Piechaczyk convinced lawmakers he would make a good head of the Paris public transport operator. With 58 out of 70 votes cast by members of the sustainable development committees of both chambers, the result was more than sufficient. According to Article 13 of the French Constitution, a two-thirds majority would have been required to block President Emmanuel Macron's nominee to lead the RATP.
The nomination of Piechaczyk – previously the head of France's main grid operator, RTE – must now be ratified by decree in a cabinet meeting. The mere formality will conclude a lengthy process that a dozen unsuccessful candidates described as chaotic, criticizing its opaque rules.
Before lawmakers, Piechaczyk demonstrated that he had thoroughly prepared his brief. Those unfamiliar with him might be surprised by his unusual speech and slightly long pauses, remnants of a childhood stutter that he has worked hard to overcome, according to several close associates. Paying tribute to his predecessor, Jean Castex, whose departure the RATP is still lamenting, he showed that he understood the challenges facing a company whose monopoly is under threat from all sides.
