France/ "I want to breathe new life into this association": Former elected officials from the Eure department want to support the new ones
Évelyne Desmarais chairs ADAMA27, an association of former mayors and deputy mayors from the Eure department. She hopes to revitalize this association, which supports new mayors.
The Association of Former Mayors and Deputy Mayors of the Eure (ADAMA27), a member of FAMAF (the French Federation of Former Mayors and Deputy Mayors), was founded in 2020. “I was still mayor of Trouville-la-Haule, and during a mayors’ meeting in Évreux, I met Bernard Perin, the president of ADAMA76, who had introduced us to the association. Since I knew I wouldn’t be running again in the 2020 elections, we decided to found ADAMA27. There were five of us founders. Daniel Bussy, former mayor of Fourmetot, served as president, and I served as secretary,” explains Évelyne Desmarais.
In June 2025, Daniel Bussy decided to step down as president. “I agreed to replace him. The skills I acquired during my twenty-five-year career as a town clerk and local government administrator, as well as during my two terms as mayor, helped me make this decision. I felt I was qualified for the position.”
On June 11, 2025, a new executive board was elected, consisting of Évelyne Desmarais, president; Daniel Bussy, first vice president; Éric Lenoir, second vice president; Gérard Lefevre, secretary; Michel Aussy, treasurer; and Robert Maquaire, head of development and assistant treasurer.
Operation and Role of the Association
The association, like many others, suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused delays in administrative procedures and the membership census. It operated at a reduced pace for a long time. I truly hope to revitalize this association.
Évelyne Desmarais, President of ADAMA27
She is counting on elected officials—mayors and deputy mayors—who were defeated or stepped down voluntarily in the most recent municipal elections of 2025 to join the association, which currently has about twenty members. “At the general meeting on June 4, 2026, we decided to appoint a liaison for each community of municipalities in the department in order to reach out to other elected officials. Four out of eleven are already in place.”
ADAMA27’s role is to help ensure that republican values are upheld, without interfering in the exercise of local elected officials’ mandates. Each member contributes their experience to the association’s civic initiatives by participating in various volunteer activities. “We regularly meet with state, regional, and departmental authorities; leaders of communities of municipalities; presidents of associations; and mayors of major cities, and we pay particular attention to mayors in rural areas.”
ADAMA27 members, who are trained by the FAMF and registered with the Citizen Reserve, work in schools with the authorization of the School District Office and school principals, teaching students from fourth grade through twelfth grade and in preparatory classes. They participate in ceremonies at the prefecture or sub-prefecture to present decrees of French naturalization, as well as in organizing the “Marianne du civisme,” which aims to recognize municipalities with the highest voter turnout in national elections, particularly those scheduled for 2027. Members who are former elected officials may participate in other activities as investigating commissioners, judicial mediators, or jury members for various competitions, such as the “Houses in Bloom” contest.
“We want there to be a friendly atmosphere within the association. There is a great deal of mutual support among ADAMA76 members, and we hope to establish a future partnership with the Friends of the Gendarmerie. We organize site visits, cultural outings, and trips,” concludes the president.
Source: actu.fr/normandie/
