The Golden Book of the city of St. Ingbert now contains an additional prominent signature. Sébastien Girard, Consul General of the French Republic in Saarland, visited Mayor Dr. Ulli Meyer at the St. Ingbert town hall. He was accompanied by Maëla Barçon, the Cultural Affairs Officer at the French Consulate in Saarbrücken.
Sébastien Girard, born in Metz in 1971, has been the Consul General of the French Republic in Saarland since September 2020. As an employee of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was responsible for the United Nations, economic, and financial affairs. In 2005, he moved to the private sector and led the "Public Affairs" department at the Michelin Group. In 2010, he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, where he headed the corporate promotion division for three years before becoming Deputy Consul General in Quebec, Canada. In 2016, Girard became Deputy Head of the Communications Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris and assumed his office in the Saarbrücken state capital in 2020.
The atmosphere was casual and relaxed as people exchanged views on politics, country, and people, alternating between German and French. "Personal contact and regular exchange with our neighboring country are very important to me," the mayor emphasized. "I have a close connection to France, not least because my father was present when the town twinning with St. Herblain was established."
Partnerships between French and German cities are also very close to Consul General Girard's heart: "It is very important, after all that has happened in the wars, to establish and maintain friendships."
"I have even been way up high on the Beckerturm"
He has already visited some companies in St. Ingbert, the diplomat reported, including Peter Gross Bau, Voit, Morlo, and also THS Media at the Alte Schmelz. "I was even up high on the Beckerturm and was able to enjoy the fabulous view over the city," Girard said with a wink. "At that time, I visited Patric Jungfleisch at the KVEST Gallery. By the way, one of his paintings hangs in my office."
In a casual conversation, they exchanged information about funding opportunities as well as joint, cross-border projects in cultural fields. At the end, a joint visit to the Oktoberfest in St. Ingbert was agreed upon. "I have heard a lot about it and am looking forward to finally experiencing this German tradition," said Consul General Sébastien Girard in his farewell words.
