The partial legislative elections in Paris’s 2nd district are taking an unprecedented turn with the surprise candidacy of two Bitcoin figures, Alexandre Stachtchenko and Aurore Galves. Their campaign is based on three pillars: currency, energy, and freedoms, aiming to offer an alternative to a France in economic and political crisis. So, can Bitcoin really become a lever for reinventing French politics and economics?
The legislative elections in Paris’s 2nd district are being contested by former ministers and Bitcoin candidates
On September 21 and 28, 2025, partial legislative elections will be held in the 2nd district of Paris. The outgoing Renaissance deputy, Jean Laussucq, has been declared ineligible for one year by the Constitutional Council due to irregularities in his campaign accounts.
On the eve of the municipal elections, this vote takes on a strategic dimension, pitting leading figures against each other. The National Rally (RN) is represented by MEP Thierry Mariani, while the New Popular Front is represented by Frédérique Bredin, former Minister of Sports. However, their chances remain limited in bourgeois neighborhoods with a strong centrist tradition.
The presidential camp, deprived of a local figure after the departure of Jean Laussucq, is relying on its LR allies. Following the withdrawal of Rachida Dati, who will focus on the 2026 Paris municipal elections, Michel Barnier, former Prime Minister, appears to be the favorite to win.
But that was without counting on the surprise candidacy of two well-known figures in the world of Bitcoin: Alexandre Stachtchenko and Aurore Galves.
🇫🇷 With France in a critical economic and political situation, I have decided to run for election in the 2nd constituency of Paris with @aurore_btc.
Currency, Energy, Freedoms: the French way out of the crisis👇🧵
Since… pic.twitter.com/daI3FskkFJ
— Alexandre ‘unhosted’ Stachtchenko (@StachAlex) September 1, 2025
Alexandre Stachtchenko, a regular on television and renowned for his eloquence and teaching skills, is Head of Strategy at Paymium, one of France’s leading BTC exchange platforms. He is a regular guest on media outlets (BFM Business, Radio France, Canal+) and at public conferences.
Aurore Galves, a teacher from Lyon and founder of BTC Lyon (later acquired by Bull Bitcoin), had already run in June 2024 alongside Nicolas Cantu in the 8th district of Isère.
“Currency, Energy, Freedoms: the French way to come out on top”
On the occasion of his candidacy, Alexandre Stachtchenko published an opinion piece on Medium, in which he makes a harsh assessment of the current state of France.
None of this is a bug. It is not an error in a system that needs to be corrected. It is the system itself. That is his target. That is his goal.
Alexandre Stachtchenko
Faced with this situation, he and Aurore Galves propose an alternative vision based on three pillars: currency, energy, and freedoms.
Their goal: to rebuild the French economic system based on the principles of decentralization, sovereignty, and technological innovation.
Alexandre Stachtchenko insists that currency is no longer limited by the physical world, which allows public authorities to manipulate debt to fuel illogical political patronage.
Since the 1970s, currency has no longer been constrained by the physical world, as it was before with gold. Currency has become debt, an unconditional promise.
Alexandre Stachtchenko
He also denounces the widespread surveillance of digital communications that the European Union intends to introduce via the Chat Control regulation, which he describes as “a disgrace to democracy and the rule of law.”
Furthermore, he deplores the missed opportunities and stifling of innovation by a proliferation of standards and sterile political debate. In this regard, he believes that the Bitcoin mining sector illustrates how France has missed a major economic opportunity by selling a digital subsidiary to an American player in 2025 that EDF could have valued at several billion euros, to the detriment of French companies.
There is something about the emergence of Bitcoin and its reception in France that speaks to the critical situation of our country. A country that is sick, anesthetized, paralyzed, stifled by standards and rules, in which, for many, the future is frightening and the past is comforting.
Alexandre Stachtchenko
Aware that “Bitcoin is neither a program nor a political party,” Alexandre Stachtchenko and Aurore Galves want above all to open up the debate. In their manifesto, they affirm their desire to instill hope in France and the French people by highlighting “crucial issues that have been ignored for too long.”
Join us tomorrow evening, Tuesday, September 2, at 9:00 p.m., when we will be hosting Alexandre Stachtchenko live on X, YouTube, and Twitch. He will answer your questions and explain the motivations behind his candidacy:
