Appointed prefect of the Pays de la Loire region and prefect of Loire-Atlantique at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, Laurent Hottiaux is turning the page on his time in the Alpes-Maritimes. Having arrived in Nice in April 2025, the senior civil servant marked his term with issues of security, housing, and adaptation to climate change.
The Council of Ministers officially confirmed on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the appointment of Laurent Hottiaux as prefect of the Pays de la Loire region and prefect of Loire-Atlantique. He will replace Fabrice Rigoulet-Roze, who has been on his way out for several weeks already. A new stage in the career of this 53-year-old senior civil servant, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris, ESSEC, and ENA, who had held the position of prefect of Alpes-Maritimes since April 2025.
After a stint at the Élysée as adviser for “interior and security” between 2017 and 2020 and then at the prefecture of Hauts-de-Seine, Laurent Hottiaux had succeeded Hugues Moutouh in Nice with a clear agenda. From the first weeks, security had emerged as a major focus of prefectural action.
An action marked by security issues and territorial adaptation
In an Alpes-Maritimes department facing a strong presence of drug trafficking, Laurent Hottiaux, who described himself as an impartial prefect upon his arrival, had multiplied public statements to remind of the State’s mobilization. “There is no freedom without security,” the prefect had declared, while making the fight against drug trafficking a priority. State services had notably announced the dismantling of a significant part of dealing points in the department and the incarceration of numerous traffickers. Despite these results, Laurent Hottiaux called for maintaining pressure: “the results are good, but it’s a war of movements, fundamental work that must continue and intensify.”
The State representative had also championed a comprehensive approach to security issues, from everyday crime to illegal immigration, not forgetting the terrorist threat. At a ceremony dedicated to law enforcement, Laurent Hottiaux had taken the opportunity to salute “the considerable work” accomplished in the field. “Protecting our fellow citizens, sometimes risking your lives to guarantee their security, amounts to much more than a profession,” the prefect had emphasized.
His term on the Côte d’Azur was not, however, limited to public order issues. Facing the housing crisis affecting the department, Laurent Hottiaux was working on a plan to increase available supply while preserving the balance of the coastline. The protection of maritime public domain and the application of the Coastal Act were also among priority issues during recent months.
Environmental issues had taken an increasingly important place in prefectural action. On several occasions, Laurent Hottiaux had warned about the already visible consequences of climate change in the Alpes-Maritimes, mentioning episodes of flooding, storms, fires, and tensions over water resources. “The last eleven years have been the warmest in 176 years!” the prefect had recalled during a day dedicated to territorial adaptation. Facing this situation, Laurent Hottiaux advocated for collective mobilization, believing that “ecological planning is not an optional extra.”
During just over a year heading the State in the Alpes-Maritimes, Laurent Hottiaux had also maintained peaceful relations with local elected officials around economic, cross-border, and territorial development issues.
With this appointment in Nantes, Laurent Hottiaux leaves behind him a department facing major challenges. The name of the future prefect of Alpes-Maritimes has not yet been announced, nor has the date of his official departure.
NicePremium is a free, independent local news outlet.
Help us keep going by supporting our work from €5 per month.
