David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes, announced ahead of time the name of the new prefect of Alpes-Maritimes. It is Hugues Moutouh, the current prefect of Hérault.
Even before the end of the Council of Ministers, his name leaked. David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes in the midst of the Cannes Pays de Lérins agglomeration council, reportedly received a call from the Minister of the Interior. Gérald Darmanin is said to have entrusted him with the name of the new prefect of Alpes-Maritimes: Hugues Moutouh, according to our colleagues from Nice Matin.
The current prefect of Hérault recently made headlines in the press. He is the author of the controversial phrase “two slaps and to bed”. In the context of urban violence triggered following the death of Nahel, killed by a police shot, this is what he had recommended to the parents of the rioters.
He stated on France Bleu on July 3: “I know that in 2019, Parliament banned it, but frankly, between you and me. If tomorrow you catch your kid going down the street to burn police vehicles or throw stones at firefighters and loot stores, the method? What is it? It’s two slaps and to bed! That’s what our grandparents did”. His shocking method particularly outraged some LFI deputies. Indeed, the parliamentarians reported it to the Montpellier Prosecutor.
A man with tough methods
Known for his directness and tough methods, this former university professor is a martial arts enthusiast. He was first prefect of Creuse from 2009 to 2011. After a long absence from senior public service, the jurist returned as a prefect in 2019, this time of Drôme.
A former associate of Nicolas Sarkozy and Claude Guéant, he took over as head of the Hérault Prefecture in July 2021. The 55-year-old man became notably the first prefect to ban “portable sound devices” during demonstrations, known as “anti-pot bans”, last April. This measure was taken during an official visit of Emmanuel Macron in the 34 district.
Moreover, it was Hugues Moutouh who filed a complaint on behalf of the State after the slap received by the President of the Republic by a young man during his visit to Drôme.
Last August, his incisive remarks once again circulated in the media. Nicknamed the “Bulldozer” prefect in the local press, he stated he wanted to “clean the streets and harass delinquents”. Combating drug trafficking, among other things, is one of his priorities.
