Former prefect of Hauts-de-Seine, Laurent Hottiaux succeeds Hugues Moutouh at the head of the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture. A change of tone, but a position under high tension.
The appointment was made official Monday evening in the Council of Ministers. At 51, Laurent Hottiaux becomes prefect of Alpes-Maritimes. He succeeds Hugues Moutouh, who has been appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior. The latter leaves the department after eighteen months marked by a very assertive style of authority. His successor seems more discreet, but equally experienced.
Born in Vincennes, Laurent Hottiaux was educated in top French schools. A graduate of Sciences Po, ESSEC, and ENA (Averroès class), he has rubbed shoulders with several current power figures. Among his former classmates, we find Agnès Pannier-Runacher and Alexis Kohler.
He initially alternated between positions as a civil administrator and sub-prefect. He then held leadership roles in ministerial cabinets between 2007 and 2011. In 2017, he became a security advisor to Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée.
During this period, his name was mentioned in connection with the Benalla affair. The Paris police prefect, Michel Delpuech, had testified before the court that Laurent Hottiaux had directly informed him about the violence committed by Alexandre Benalla on May 1, 2018. Laurent Hottiaux was then his hierarchical superior.
Crises, security, and political relationships to build
In July 2020, he took the helm of the Hauts-de-Seine prefecture. This post, which he occupied for more than four years, exposed him to several crises. He notably had to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine on fuel prices, and riots related to the death of Nahel in Nanterre.
“One could indeed say that I did four and a half years of crisis management,” he stated when leaving his post, in an interview with Le Parisien.
His arrival in Alpes-Maritimes comes in a complex context. Several issues await him: drug trafficking, investigation of suspected public funds misappropriation after the storm Alex, and local political tensions ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.
In this department, where relations between the state and local authorities are sometimes strained, Laurent Hottiaux will have to work with influential elected officials. The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has already extended a welcome message to him on social networks. A message reminiscent of the one posted upon Hugues Moutouh’s arrival. However, relations quickly deteriorated between the two men.
In contrast to his predecessor, Laurent Hottiaux is not known for his political stances. This positioning could ease institutional relations. Especially since the new prefect is accustomed to negotiations between ministries and the technocratic management of issues. He also knows the workings of public communication.
In a territory under tension, both migratory and security-wise, this approach could make a difference. The question remains as to how Laurent Hottiaux will make the state’s voice heard in a department where, as Hugues Moutouh pointed out upon his departure, “other people’s authority is tolerated with difficulty.”
