We were delighted to welcome our comrade Nicolas Samsoen (engineer 1997), mayor of Massy, to the Maison des Ponts on October 9, to mark the launch of his book D'excellents Français - Comment faire de l'immigration une chance, published by Grasset.

A committed book to rethink integration As mayor of a working-class town, Nicolas Samsoen (Ingénieur 1997) shared his vision and experience, drawing on the reflections of Bernard Stasi. He addressed the major challenges of integration, such as schooling, housing, secularism, security and culture. The title of the book, inspired by a song by Maurice Chevalier (1939), reminded us that the Republic remains the best framework for bringing together all French people, whatever their origins. Faced with the challenges of declassification, he called for collective mobilization rather than division.

"Why write a book in an age of 140-character debates? Because reality is complex. We need to recognize the difficulties and celebrate the successes. Serenity requires time to reflect and to fight the battle of ideas. " N. Samsoen

A signing session rounded off the evening, followed by a convivial cocktail reception.