Hugo Biolley, mayor of Vinzieux, Ardèche department, and student at Sciences Po Grenoble, in Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Isère department, France, February 8, 2022. SOPHIE RODRIGUEZ
On this January evening, people crowded at the doors of the Town Hall's community center in Vinzieux, Ardèche, a small town of 556 residents in Southern France. Perched on the foothills of the Pilat massif and built from local stone, the building offers sweeping views of the Rhône valley. In the distance, one can spot the Vercors plateau, the Chartreuse massif and, on clear days, Mont Blanc. More than 100 inhabitants answered the call for mulled wine, shared pizza and, above all, a convivial moment with their local star, France's youngest mayor: Hugo Biolley.
He may only be 24, but he has already spent six years leading the town council. After the previous mayor stepped down in 2020, he was the sole candidate to step forward. The high schooler, whose ambitions once amused the town, became a hands-on public servant. He learned to be, in turn, a team leader, project manager and diplomat – just some of the many hats rural mayors are expected to wear.
That night, he delivered his last well-wishes of his first term and announced his candidacy for a second term in the upcoming March 15 and 22 election. Time for a reckoning. Was it truly wise to entrust the keys to the village hall to an 18-year-old? In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, when the order everywhere was to isolate and retreat, Biolley set a clear course: "Create activity, create life." "Otherwise, we'll become a commuter village," he warned.
