Editing Toulouse (section)

===Local politics===
[[File:Toulouse_capitole_bis.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Toulouse's city hall, the [[Capitole de Toulouse]], and the square of the same name with the [[Occitan cross]] designed by [[Raymond Moretti]] on the ground]]
[[File:31 - Toulouse - Les armes de la ville de Toulouse – Théophile Barrau.jpg|thumb|Coats of arms of Toulouse: Saint-Sernin church and Comtal castle frame a paschal lamb bearing the [[Occitan cross|Toulouse cross]]]]
[[File:Jean-Luc Moudenc, maire (LR) de Toulouse.jpg|thumb|[[Jean-Luc Moudenc]], mayor of Toulouse]]

One of the major political figures in Toulouse was [[Dominique Baudis]], the [[Mayor (France)|mayor]] of Toulouse between 1983 and 2001, member of the centrist [[Union for French Democracy|UDF]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Laval |first=Gilbert |title=Toulouse, un legs difficile pour Douste-Blazy. Baudis adoube le chef des députés UDF pour sa succession municipale en 2001. |url=https://www.liberation.fr/france/2000/01/28/toulouse-un-legs-difficile-pour-douste-blazy-baudis-adoube-le-chef-des-deputes-udf-pour-sa-successio_313183/ |access-date=2 February 2023 |website=Libération |language=fr}}</ref> First known as a journalist known for his coverage of the war in [[Lebanon]], 36-year-old Dominique Baudis succeeded his father [[Pierre Baudis]] in 1983 as mayor of Toulouse. (Pierre Baudis was mayor from 1971 to 1983.)

Baudis tried to strengthen the international role of Toulouse (such as its [[Airbus]] operations), as well as revive the cultural heritage of the city. The Occitan cross, flag of [[Languedoc]] and symbol of the counts of Toulouse, was chosen as the new flag of the city, instead of the traditional coat of arms of Toulouse (which included the [[fleur de lis]] of the French monarchy). Many cultural institutions were created, in order to attract foreign expatriates and emphasise the city's past. For example, monuments dating from the time of the [[History of Toulouse|counts of Toulouse]] were restored, the city's symphonic concert hall (''Halle aux Grains'') was refurbished, a city theater was built, a Museum of Modern Art was founded, the [[Bemberg Foundation]] (European paintings and [[Bronze sculpture|bronzes]] from the [[Renaissance]] to the 20th century) was established, a huge pop music concert venue (''Zénith'', the largest in France outside Paris) was built, the space museum and educational park ''[[Cité de l'Espace]]'' was founded, etc.

To deal with growth, major housing and transportation projects were launched. Line A of the [[Rapid transit|underground]] was opened in 1993, and line B opened in 2007. The creation of a system of underground car parking structures in Toulouse city centre was sharply criticised by the [[The Greens (France)|Green Party]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/france-city/toulouse-france/toulouse-politics.htm |title=Toulouse politics information |publisher=Bonjourlafrance.com |access-date=1 October 2013 |archive-date=28 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828091616/http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/france-city/toulouse-france/toulouse-politics.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2000, Dominique Baudis was at the zenith of his popularity, with approval rates of 85%.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} He announced that he would not run for a fourth (6-year) term in 2001. He explained that with 3 terms he was already the longest-serving mayor of Toulouse since the [[French Revolution]]; he felt that change would be good for the city, and that the number of terms should be limited. He endorsed [[Philippe Douste-Blazy]], then [[Union for French Democracy|UDF]] mayor of [[Lourdes]] as his successor. Baudis has since been appointed president of the CSA (''[[Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel]]'') in Paris, the French equivalent of the American [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]].

Philippe Douste-Blazy narrowly won in the 2001 elections, which saw the left making its best showing in decades. Douste-Blazy had to deal with a reinvigorated political opposition, as well as with the dramatic explosion of the [[AZF (factory)|AZF]] plant in late 2001.

In March 2004, he entered the national government, and left Toulouse in the hands of his second-in-command [[Jean-Luc Moudenc]], elected mayor by the municipal council. In March 2008, Moudenc was defeated by the Socialist Party's candidate [[Pierre Cohen]].

At the next elections in 2014 Moudenc defeated Cohen in a rematch to re-take the job with more than 52% of the votes, and he was re-elected with almost the same score in 2020.