Paul is the young mayor of Lomieu in the Ardennes. A model citizen, he's currently on his third term of office. Until the day everything changes. After being found guilty of murdering the journalist Jacques Gentil, Paul is sentenced to twenty years in prison.

How did it come to this? On his way to his cell, Paul relives the past few years. Having been elected after a relentless campaign, he devotes his life to his town. He learns to be loved by the locals, along with the support of his associates and wife. He also learns to be hated, turning the other cheek to the acerbic criticisms of Jacques Gentil, who is always on the lookout for any mistakes that could tarnish the young mayor's career. But it is becoming increasingly difficult for Paul to defend his decisions in the eyes of a population seduced by the discourse of the far right. This criticism-sensitive idealist is sucked up by the reality of political life, until he does the unforgivable.