Jeanne Roussel, the newly elected mayor of Villers-Cotterêts since March 2026, discusses the complex relationship between culture and far-right voting in her town. Despite the presence of the Cité internationale de la langue française, a flagship cultural project of Emmanuel Macron, the far-right nearly won again in local elections. Roussel acknowledges that culture does not automatically protect against extremist votes, but it can help. She outlines plans to improve local cultural infrastructure, including a neglected cinema, library, and the small Alexandre Dumas museum, and to foster better coordination between the Cité and local institutions.
This matters because Villers-Cotterêts is a test case for whether major cultural investments can counter political extremism in small French towns. The Cité has attracted over 500,000 visitors, but most leave without benefiting the local economy, highlighting a gap between national cultural ambitions and local realities. Roussel’s efforts to repair relations with the Cité, boost tourism accommodation, and revitalize underfunded cultural venues could serve as a model—or a cautionary tale—for other communities grappling with similar challenges.