An MP’s diary

Martine Billard, a member of the Green Party, was elected Member of Parliament for the centre of Paris in 2002. She had previously been an active party member and municipal representative from 1995 to 2001. She had been employed in various sectors, ranging from factories, a library and a SME (small and medium-sized entreprise). Her unusual profile, compared to other MPs who are mostly notables or civil servants, as well as her membership of a minority group, gave her an independent view of how parliament functions. How can one reconcile representing a constituency for which one has been elected with the fact that one’s term of office (based on drafting laws) concerns an activity which, on the face of it, has no territory,? An MP’s diary is divided between the inevitable tasks associated with representing one’s constituents, meeting the electorate, and fundamental work with help, which is most welcome, from associations and the various parties involved in social life.