The newly elected mayor of Paris, the left-wing coalition candidate, heads a large blended family. And while everything seems to be going his way now, his personal history remains marked by several family tragedies.

Emmanuel Grégoire celebrates his victory. This Sunday, following the second round of municipal elections, Anne Hidalgo's political heir became the new mayor of Paris, defeating his rival Rachida Dati. That same evening, he enjoyed a bike ride through the capital's streets to City Hall, where he declared, "I can't wait to take care of this magnificent city." But while his political career is well-known—he was, notably, chief of staff to Bertrand Delanoë before joining the team of the former mayor of the City of Lights—the details of his private life remain more discreet.

On February 22nd, he opened up during an interview on Sam Zirah's YouTube show. When asked about his relationship and family, 48-year-old Emmanuel Grégoire revealed some details of his family life. "We have five children," he said, describing it as "a large family with very different ages, since my eldest is 20, my daughter is 16, and my sons are 14, 12, and 9." Having separated from the mother of his first child, Emmanuel Grégoire had two more with his current partner. She also had two children from a previous relationship. This blended family fills him with joy: "They get along wonderfully, with all the joys and challenges that come with families reorganizing themselves," he continued. Furthermore, he stressed that he made no distinction between the children from his first marriage and those of his partner: "My focus is simply on being a father, on being there."

A brother's suicide

But beyond these insights into his life as a father, the interview also touched on more painful revelations. The new mayor of Paris also opened up about a family tragedy that occurred last year, one that profoundly impacted his mayoral campaign: the death of his brother. "We were very close," he confided. Before revealing: "It was a terrible family tragedy because he took his own life. It's unreal." He continued: "I, in particular, feel immense guilt. A thousand times, I've been told I shouldn't blame myself. But I do. I blame myself because he's no longer here. It's difficult to hold someone's hand for a very, very long time. Several of us have done it. Others have done it more than I have, my sisters especially." This shock, however, strengthened the bonds with his loved ones, he says: "We supported each other (...) We all experience tragedies in life, but they don't all have the same symbolic significance. Obviously, this was particularly hard, but we move forward and tell each other that we love each other."

In a profile on France Inter last November, Emmanuel Grégoire described himself as a "kind" and "empathetic" person who loved people. An insomniac and a hard worker, as our colleagues summarized, he claimed to often go out on Friday nights to see musicals, his passion, but admitted to preferring "Fridays with family," in front of a pizza and a cartoon.

"This story is about a child in the fourth grade."

This recent tragedy is not the only ordeal that has marked his life. Long before that, Emmanuel Grégoire's childhood was already scarred by deep wounds. From his youth spent in Seine-Saint-Denis, then in Charente-Maritime, the elected official still bears the marks. Speaking to France Inter, Emmanuel Grégoire revealed that he suffered sexual abuse during his childhood. "This story is about a child who, in fourth grade, was sexually abused for several months during extracurricular activities at a municipal swimming pool, and at the time, I found neither the strength, nor the means, nor the words to express this pain and suffering. I kept it silent for decades. I carry this scar, I know, like so many others who have remained silent. And I tell myself that if I had remained silent, it would have been pointless."