Thursday, January 22, the chamber of the Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council hosted the plenary installation assembly of the 54 young departmental councillors. An official session presided over by the President of the Department.
The Plenary Installation Assembly of the young departmental councillors for the 2025-2027 term was held in the chamber of the Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council. The session took place in the presence of the departmental councillors of the Alpes-Maritimes. Jean-Claude Nicolas, academic inspector and academic referent for values of the republic, memory, defense, and citizenship, represented Natacha Chicot, Rector of the Nice Academy.
This assembly allowed welcoming the young elected members. Congratulations accompanied the presentation of the department’s missions.
Through a civic and educational approach, the young people’s departmental council offers elected middle schoolers the opportunity to get a taste of active democracy. A reflection is underway on societal themes that directly concern the youth.
For this 11th term, the CDJ consists of 27 girl/boy pairs, or 54 students. The young members were elected from the 5th-grade classes of the 27 organizing middle schools in the Alpes-Maritimes. The election was held for two school years, using a two-round paired voting system. Each pair of young departmental councillors represents a district of the department.
Committees on important societal themes
During the plenary installation assembly, the new councillors chose a committee according to their interests. Two committees were constituted. The first will work on teen mental health, “health, solidarity, and equality.” The second will be dedicated to major natural risks, “environment, digital, and living environment.”
Each committee serves as a venue for exchanges and debates. The young elected members work on developing one or more projects. The actions are supervised by the departmental services and their partners. The session also allowed for the election of the presidents of the two committees:
- Léo Combrichon, from the Le Cannet district, was elected President of committee 1
- Sarah Dos Santos Timoumi, from Nice 6 district, was elected President of committee 2.
The President of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, Charles Ange Ginésy declared: “Democracy begins in middle school! I had the honor of installing the 11th term of the young people’s Departmental Council of the Alpes-Maritimes 2025-2027. It was an opportunity to officially present them with their young departmental councillor’s sash. Fifty-four 5th graders are committed for two years in the service of the public interest, proving that the youth is not turning away from public life but is investing in it with enthusiasm and conviction. Two major current topics will guide their term, adolescent mental health, a national great cause, and major natural risks, an essential challenge for our territory. Congratulations to these young councillors, true actors in their collective destiny. The young people’s Departmental Council is a living school of citizenship and a formidable promise for the future of the Alpes-Maritimes.”
Last year, around sixty middle schoolers concluded their term during an official session organized in Nice. This event allowed the young councillors to report on projects carried out over two years. The works focused on the prevention of sexual violence among young people and the preservation of water resources.
