Being a freshman and a mayor at the same time? Hugo Biolley proves it’s very much possible

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France’s youngest mayor, Hugo Biolley, was only 18 years old when he was elected mayor of Vinzieux, small town in southeastern France which is home to 450 inhabitants. Is it possible to be a successful leader without previous work experience? Can a teenager make noticeable changes for the whole community? Thanks to Hugo Biolley, we know the answer is yes. Here is the story on his success.

After mayor Biolley decided to study political sciences at the prestigious university Sciences Po, he decided to bolster his application and applied for a two-weeks internship with a local congressman in Annonay during school holidays.

His assignment was to review grant applications submitted by local nonprofits and villages. One day, he noticed a request sent by his hometown for a playground.

Mayor Biolley stated: “During my internship, I read a file sent by my village. Vinzieux had asked for 10,000 euros to build a playground for the children. 10,000 euros is a huge sum! At that point, I understood that this money could have a considerable impact on Vinzieux.”

This was the moment he realised what he wanted to become in his life: politics can revive his village, bring back different events, but also build so much needed playground for children to enjoy their childhood and make friends: “This internship changed who I was. It was a real eye-opener. I thought to myself, “I want to help people this way. That’s what I want to do later.”

And he made it. It wasn’t an easy path, though. His candidacy program was fantastic, but his coinhabitants were worried by the fact he was only 18. During his campaign, he organized many events and met with a lot of people. Their support was shown on the election day: Hugo became the youngest mayor in France on March 15, 2020. 

The title of mayor did not stop Hugo Biolley from continuing with his education. He successfully juggles both his university duties as well as responsibilities of a mayor: “I knew it would be a challenge to lead these two lives together, but I told myself that if I wanted to, it will be possible”, he said. 

His main mission as mayor is to revitalize the town he grew up in by opening businesses and organizing events, especially cultural ones. 

Mayor Hugo Biolley said: “When I was little, there were a lot of village festivals and events. The inhabitants met regularly. There was a lot of life in the village! But when I became a teenager, it wasn’t the same. There were fewer events, less activity, less life.”

Having in mind that Vinzieux is surrounded by bigger cities, with time a lot of people started using Vinzieux just to sleep over. It started loosing it identity and becoming a “bedroom community” for people commuting to work in nearby cities like Annonay and Lyon.

Mayor Biolley explained: “I didn’t want Vinzieux to become a dormitory city. I wanted life to come back to my village, every day of the year! So I decided to be a candidate to become the mayor of Vinzieux.”

Being highly publicized and active on social media allowed him to promote Vinzieux and inspire people to open their businesses there, with the goal of attracting people and tourists to the village. A wine bar and a bread store will be opened soon in the village.

“I did not think I could open such a place during my mandate, but it should be done by the end of this year” says the young mayor.

Although his mandate ends in 2026, he stated that he would like to have a “job that revolves around the general interest. This will perhaps involve politics on a larger scale. I feel competent and I know that I will have open doors by the end of my mandate”.

 

Photo credit: start.lesechos.fr