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Harris County, TX, October 12, 2026 - On Saturday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo concluded an official visit to Paris, France, where she promoted Harris County as a global destination for international partnership, economic investment and cultural exchange. Judge Hidalgo’s visit to France was part of the Future Leaders Invitation Programme (PIPA), a global leadership program operated by the French Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs.

Judge Hidalgo is returning to Harris County with the following key takeaways:

• French stakeholders are committed to partnering with Harris County. During her meetings, Judge Hidalgo and French leaders discussed the similarities between French and American democratic ideals. Given the two regions’ shared values, both countries agree that maintaining a close communication and strong relationship, especially in today’s unpredictable political environment, is more important than ever.
• Harris County is a prime destination for French aerospace investment. Harris County and France are both global aerospace hubs. Judge Hidalgo met with top aerospace companies and with Samuel Mamou, the CEO of Alliance NewSpace. Alliance NewSpace is the association representing nearly 60 French start-ups and SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and the recognized voice of the French NewSpace ecosystem. She also met with Marie-Christine Oghly, AsTech Paris President. AsTech is the birthplace of the French aerospace industry and is France’s leading aerospace R&D hub (accounting for 43% of the national aerospace R&D budget), and bringing together more than 28,000 researchers, alongside government, higher education, and aerospace SMEs. Her meetings with the aerospace sector covered the companies’ work related to space exploration, low earth orbit commercial space stations, emergency preparedness, and the oil & gas industries. 
• International exchange helps drive new solutions to shared challenges: While France and Harris County are an ocean apart, both regions experience challenges including natural disasters, community health issues, and balancing financial constraints with community needs. Judge Hidalgo met with key French officials driving policy solutions to global problems to exchange information and bring back new ideas to Harris County. 

“We live in an unpredictable political environment right now across the globe. It’s more important than ever to have open lines of communication around the world, especially when both France and Harris County share the same values and face so many of the same challenges. Exchanges of ideas on the toughest policy challenges and work on aerospace sector collaboration advance the interests of both France and Harris County, while nurturing the vital U.S.-France partnership,” said Judge Hidalgo. 

During her time in Paris, Judge Hidalgo met with:

• Colonel Alexandre Jouassard, Head of the Interministerial Crisis Management Operational Centre (COGIC)—France’s 24/7 Emergency Operations Center— and France’s spokesperson during crises to compare France and Harris County’s emergency response systems, share best practices, and exchange strategies for how to best engage the community during and after emergencies. 
• Senator Antoine Lefèvre, French Senator, Quaestor of the Senate, and President of the Interparliamentary group France-US at the Sénate to discuss how to strengthen French investment in Harris County and how local and regional governments can drive international innovation and opportunity. 
• Marie-Christine Oghly, AsTech Paris Region President to pitch Harris County as an investment destination for French aerospace companies.
• French aerospace leaders, including Alliance NewSpace, Exotrail and Cailabs to pitch Harris County as a destination for investment and expansion. 
• Martin Hirsch, former director of the Paris public hospital system during COVID, State Councillor, and President of the Institut de L’Engagement (which provides opportunities to young high school graduates) to exchange policy best practices, as well as lessons learned during COVID and how to apply those to policymaking and future emergencies. 
• Christopher Weissberg, Member of the French National Assembly (lower house of the French legislative branch), representing French citizens living abroad, currently championing anti-domestic violence bill, to exchange ideas on shared challenges, including supporting domestic violence survivors and how to balance tough budget decisions with community needs. 
• Antoine Alibert, Deputy Mayor of Paris for Public & Environmental Health, Pollution Control, and Relations with the AP-HP (the largest public university hospital system in Europe, with over 8 million annual patient visits) to collaborate on policy solutions related to climate change, mental health and sustainability.
• Alix Everard, Director of the Americas and Caribbean, French Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs to pitch Harris County as a global business destination and continue strengthening Harris County’s global partnerships.
• Emmanuel Mayer, Head of North America, French Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs to emphasize Harris County’s importance in the US political and economic landscape, which positions the county for continued collaboration and foreign investments.
• Hugo Bruel, Advisor to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs for the Americas, Economic Diplomacy, and Development to learn more about France’s government structure and policy goals on an international stage in order to pave the way for easier collaboration in the future. 
• Jean David Ledain, Secretary General, Ile de France Region to discuss approaches to strengthening disaster preparedness and emergency response. 
• Benjamin Voisin, Director of Paris’ Solidarity (social services) Department to highlight strategies for reducing poverty. 
• Officials at the Santé Publique (France’s national public health agency). Judge Hidalgo met with Director of Scientific and International Affairs Anne-Catherine Viso, Head of the Early Interactions Unit Thierry Cardoso, Project Manager & Epidemiologist Stephanie Monnier-Besnard, Head of Scientific Projects Elodie Lebreton, Research & Studies Officer Jalpa Shah and Project Manager Paula Garcia-Lobato to discuss population health approaches and the French government public health structure.
• Tristan Aureau, Director for the Center for Analysis, Planning and Strategy, French Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs to learn more about France’s government structure, as well as the country’s role within the European Union and its relationship with the U.S.

Next steps include:

• Hosting French aerospace companies in Harris County and facilitating investments in our region.
• Reviewing Harris County emergency response initiatives, including citizen volunteerism, to incorporate additional best practices. 
• Continuing discussions at the department level on domestic violence, maternal health, and workforce development to implement best practices. 

The PIPA program allows 75 young leaders from the political, academic, and civil society sectors to visit France each year to meet key stakeholders and engage in high-level discussions on strategic issues related to their expertise. PIPA offers its invitees a deep understanding of France by facilitating meetings with experts and decision-makers aligned with their interests. PIPA also aims to establish long-lasting ties between France and the U.S. Other leaders who have completed the PIPA program include Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and Maine House of Representatives Speaker Ryan Fecteau. 

This marks Judge Hidalgo’s second time visiting Paris as Harris County Judge. She led Harris County’s first ever trade mission – to France – in June 2025, heading a regional delegation alongside the Greater Houston Partnership and Rice University focused on unlocking international investment, expanding innovation partnerships, and positioning Harris County as a global leader in energy, climate tech, aerospace, and medical technology. Judge Hidalgo has also led trade missions on behalf of Harris County to Japan, Taiwan, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal, securing added investments in Harris County. 

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