Where I work at a local café, there is a flavor of tea sold called ‘doucer angevine.’ The tea has a mild sweetness and is very popular among the customers. Ironically, it’s the only one the owner of the establishment has yet to try. 

Apparently, when the city of Angers advertises itself, it uses the term, ‘Doucer Angevine,’ which, similar to the tea, means ‘soft angevine,’ and term that refers to people living in the region of Anjou.

Upon arriving in Angers earlier this semester, I was under the impression that the city was always quiet and controlled, with nothing too bad ever occurring.  

Maybe this phrase is inaccurate though. After last week’s election I don’t know if Angers is the most welcoming place, at least if you aren’t French or a student.

The new mayor was announced this past Sunday and it was interesting to watch all the campaigning throughout the streets, especially considering I knew absolutely nothing about the French political system before arriving here. 

The new mayor is Christophe Béchu and according to my Irish boss Mary Greene, he is a total “pain in the arse” and is contributing to the downfall of the entire country of France.

I guess if I’m going to get educated in French politics, there’s no better person to hear it from than a proud Irish-woman. 

Christophe Béchu is somewhat of a protégé of the former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, in in terms of where he stands in his beliefs especially finances.  

A lot of the citizens of Angers are upset about him being elected and there have been a number of protests in the town center. I thought this was just the normal protocol that happens with any election that takes place anywhere in the world, but I found out that apparently some people are still mad for a different reason.

Back in November, France’s justice minister Christiane Taubira visited Angers and was taunted by local children with racial slurs and banana peels after passing a bill on same same-sex marriage. I couldn’t believe this when I heard it. 

This is one of the reasons why so many people are upset about this new mayor getting elected: apparently he was accepting of this racial discrimination.

So much for ‘doucer angevine’ I guess.

Maybe this false advertising is contributing to the ‘Paris syndrome’ people get when they come to France, because behind the glittering lights of the Eiffel tower there are actually real problems. 

This article in The Guardian features a video of the racial discrimination that took place in Angers.