New mayor observes ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Christmas tradition
Every year since the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Organization moved into its Headquarters building in November 2012, the tradition has been observed. A few weeks before Christmas, the mayor of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, where the organization is administratively located, sends a large Christmas tree and comes a few days later to symbolically light its baubles and garlands.
Over the years, the mayors have changed but the tree has always been delivered. On Wednesday 1 December, Mayor Romain Buchaut, who was elected in September 2021, came to ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ with his one of his deputies, Élise Place, and—together with ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Director-General Bernard Bigot—pressed the button that illuminated the tree.
As a specialist in land planning and development, Mayor Buchaut said he was very eager to strengthen the relationship between ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ and the municipality he is heading. He stressed the very unique situation of Saint-Paul-lez Durance—a village of less than one thousand inhabitants that, thanks to ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, the neighbouring French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and their many contractors—offers close to 10,000 full-time jobs on its territory.