Loire. Saint-Etienne and the sex tape: three years of upheaval and a tarnished image that sticks to the skin

"Saint-Étienne is marginalized because of this sinister affair. It feels like the city has climbed onto a slide for a never-ending, hellish descent. It's sad because the people of Saint-Étienne don't deserve it." This unequivocal observation is that of former mayor Michel Thiollière. For him, as for so many others, the affair that broke at the end of summer 2022 initially caused shockwaves, before leaving indelible marks over the days, months, and years.

"When I was elected as a member of parliament and I met my colleagues in the National Assembly for the first time, telling them that I was the member of parliament for Saint-Etienne, nine times out of ten they replied: 'Oh yes, Saint-Etienne is the town where the mayor makes videos...'", illustrates Pierrick Courbon .

In July 2023, Prefect Alexandre Rochatte explained in our columns that "work with the City continued", while acknowledging that "the affair sometimes complicated things".

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