Sue Dunnachie, municipal councillor

Written by Riviera Reporter

“Once is enough …”
After nearly seven years as a member of Mougins’ Conseil municipal – one of only sixteen non-French citizens to hold such a post in France – Sue Dunnachie is standing down. She talked to Patrick Middleton

Sue Dunnachie went to one of those English girls’ public schools where young ladies are taught to become the kind of women who take charge. Does this explain her involvement with politics? “Not at all – I’ve never been a political animal and certainly not a party person. It just happened that one day in 2001, Richard Galy, the mayor of Mougins, invited me to join his list. I thought it might be interesting and so I agreed.” But why the invitation? “I suppose diversity was becoming politically fashionable and I had a double appeal as both a woman and a foreigner. And – I’m not one for false modesty – he knew of my successful work as marketing manager at Mougins School and that I was both articulate and efficient.”

“The French way”
How was she received by her fellow councillors? “With a certain reserve, I would say. After all, having a foreigner on the council was a new idea and they wanted to see how I behaved. I’d lived in France for a long time so I knew how to be careful.” So what was it like to be an élue? “I had to accept, of course, that everything was done the French way. That means endless meetings, lots of paperwork and deep respect for hierarchy. I also had to live with the reality that the French don’t like change in practice even if they seem to approve when it’s proposed – look what’s happening to Sarkozy. One factor on local councils is that you get a lot of older people – they’ve got the time to be there – and they like to do things slowly and avoid anything rash. For an Anglo-Saxon with a can-do attitude all this can be frustrating.”

How does she look back at her time as a councillor? “Well, I was made déléguée for tourism and that gave me a chance to do some very positive things to promote the town. And I met all sorts of people and got close to aspects of local life that otherwise I wouldn’t have got to know. But, to be frank, I don’t think I was used to my full potential. At school, for example, I can come up with an idea, discuss it with my boss Brian Hickmore and then go for it. That’s not how local politics work.” Is that why she’s giving up her seat? “That’s part of it, certainly, and then as a foreigner I can’t be a mayor or even a mayor’s deputy. I don’t want to spend another six years or so doing the same thing. Once is enough!” What advice would she give to anyone maybe thinking of running for councillorship. “Make sure you really understand what’s involved and how much time – not always fruitful – you’ll have to give to the job. And be warned that it is unlikely you will be able to achieve all your goals. It’s been a fascinating experience but now – literally – I want to spend more time with my family.”

From Riviera Reporter Issue 125: Feb/March 2008

Set as favourite

Bookmark

Comments (0)