"His intellectual faculties are intact": currently hospitalized, André Santini makes his first appearance in his municipal campaign in Issy-les-Moulineaux

A first appearance in his campaign, less than a week before the municipal elections. André Santini, the UDI mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux for 46 years and candidate for an eighth term, attended a brunch with supporters this Sunday, March 8, despite being hospitalized since October 2025 due to a bad fall and medical complications. The 85-year-old mayor, who arrived in a wheelchair at Moulin d'Issy, a pizzeria in the town, after obtaining permission to leave the hospital, spoke for about twenty minutes. His physique gaunt, he notably declared, according to Libération: "I know they're already writing me off, but I still have a little blood and a bit of heart left to use."

"I've come a long way, "Honestly, I didn't believe it," he also explained, according to Le Parisien.

"Mobility is affected, not the mind"

In the pages of the Parisian daily, the mayor's campaign manager, Philippe Knusmann, gave an update on his health:

"He is still recovering but is benefiting from some Exit permits. Lately, he's been back at the town hall: to chair the board meeting of the social housing office, for a few half-days of work. Even at the hospital, they brought him files and folders to sign."

His deputy mayor for urban planning sees this public appearance as "proof that his health is improving." "In any case, his intellectual faculties are intact. His mobility is affected, not his mind…"

When announcing his candidacy on February 6th in Le Parisien, André Santini explained that his health was not hindering his ambitions, stating:

"Of course, when you're in the hands of doctors, you have to ask yourself the question. But since the medical opinions acknowledge that the situation is not related to "If I was aware of potential work-related overwork and had a medical certificate attesting to my mental fitness, I didn't hesitate." In the last municipal elections, André Santini won by a landslide, being elected in the first round with 60.26% of the vote. The mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux has been the subject of two complaints since 2022, one from his former bailiff and the other from his former chief of staff, for "sexual assault," "sexual harassment," and "psychological harassment." A judicial investigation was opened in October 2024.