[1] He became interested in politics upon his disappointment in General Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970)'s abandonment of the harkis during the Algerian War of 1954-1962.
[2][3] During his tenure, he lowered the local tax by 2%, increased the number of pocket parks and car-parks, and encouraged low-income inhabitants to purchase the council flats they lived in.
By January 1983, as he was set to be re-elected as mayor with a 66% majority, but was then accused by the tabloid newspaper Le Canard enchaîné of embezzlement in order to pay for the construction of his father-in-law's house in Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon.
[1][3] He retorted that Gaston Defferre (1910-1986), who then served as Mayor of adjacent Marseille and as Minister of Interior Affairs, had schemed this plot to squander his chances of reelection.
[2] Even though he no longer gets paid, he still attends the meetings of the city council, when he sits behind his wife.