After the recent municipal elections it's a case of out with the old and in with the new.

On March 9th three lists* were put to the village electorate. The results came out very close with the 'maire sortant' (outgoing mayor) just a little bit ahead.

People from the two opposing lists who gained the most votes then combined forces to produce an opposing team of fifteen names to go forward to the vote on March 16th - and they won by a small majority.

It's amazing how many runours went flying round the village during these elections. I don't consider myself to be in the thick of things, and there's a language problem as well, but I heard whispers of  mistresses, ladies of easy virtue, fraud, family feuds and vengeance.

Some people received poison pen letters and some pretty nasty circulars went around saying negative things about the outgoing mayor.

So, you could say feelings were running high.

The winning list voted for the mayor and four deputies last Friday and we now have a lady maire with two men and two women as her adjoints.

Some people are pleased to see the back of the old regime while others are very worried about what the new council will get up to.

Only time will tell.

* Every town and village in France voted for a new Maire this month. The candidates put forward a list of names to serve as counsellors. In Charleville there were 45 people on each list but in our village there were only 15. In communes of less than 1500 inhabitants it is permitted to cross out names on the list you are voting for and substitute others. It then seems that everyone's individual votes are counted. Those who get enough votes can go through to the second round as part of a list of 15 - but the second round is usually between just two lists.

This post also appears on the new blog - here.