In Béziers, Ménard promises to pay the PV of small open traders

The town hall of Béziers in Hérault -

• Robert Ménard, the mayor of Béziers, signed a decree authorizing the opening of shops considered non-essential in the city center.

• He also promised to pay the PV of the traders who would be fined.

• In Montauban, the mayor, Brigitte Barèges, had made the same promise to pay the fines of the traders.

  But the town went back.

Like many other mayors in France, Robert Ménard (various right), the mayor of Béziers (Hérault), ignored government decisions against the Covid-19 epidemic, by signing a municipal decree, authorizing businesses considered to be non -essential to open their doors, despite confinement.

“Why would opening local shops be a problem?

", Entrusted this Monday morning to

the elected, for whom the closure of cultural or clothing departments in supermarkets is" a first victory ".

"Would health security be less assured in a small shop, which welcomes you by offering you hydroalcoholic gel, by checking that you have your mask well, than in supermarkets, where hundreds of people meet in the aisles? ?

Obviously not!

It is inaudible, incomprehensible and false.

"

"To my knowledge, no report has been issued"

Robert Ménard also promised that the city of Béziers would pay the fines for traders who would be fined.

But, for the moment, the municipality has not had to take out the checkbook.

“There were threats of minutes, five traders have their identities raised.

But to my knowledge, no report has been issued.

"

The Hérault prefecture did not respond to requests for

Monday to confirm the figures reported by the elected.

The state services in the department, however, clarified on Friday on Twitter, "the illegality" of the Béziers decree: "Shops and establishments open to the public, non-essential, are closed during confinement", thus recalled the prefecture of Hérault, which challenged the decision of Robert Ménard before the administrative court.

The hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Until then, the decree remains applicable, in Béziers, notes the elected.

"As long as it is under debate, and that the decree has not been annulled by the administrative tribunal, it is in force," warns Robert Ménard.

❌ Illegality of the decree taken by the mayor @VilleDeBeziers

↪️ a summary will be filed by the @ Prefet34 without delay before the administrative court.

📌National measure reminder: Shops & establishments open to the non-essential public are closed during confinement.

pic.twitter.com/1KJ2oRNKM0

- Prefect of Hérault (@ Prefet34) October 30, 2020

"Out of his personal funds?

"

Jean-Marie Platet, the president of the association Béziers Artisans Center-ville, welcomes the “gesture” of the mayor, like those of other elected officials from France who have followed suit.

But for him, it remains "more a symbolic act than an effective act".

“Obviously, the police then come and do their job,” says the craftsman.

He [Robert Ménard] probably wanted to draw the government's attention to what is really going on.

Because on the ground, it is catastrophic, and it could get worse.

"As for the promise of the mayor of Béziers to pay the fines of the traders verbalized, Jean-Marie Platet wonders:" Why not, but will it be on his personal funds?

Because if it is on the funds of the city, it is all the citizens who will be impacted!

"

In Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne), the mayor, Brigitte Barèges (LR), had also promised traders to pay their PV, had indicated France Bleu, Sunday, and RTL, this Monday.

She too had issued a decree authorizing the opening of non-essential shops.

But this Monday afternoon, requested by

, the town hall rectifies.

No, the municipality will not be able to pay the fines of the traders.

It is "complex, even impossible to implement", one indicates, to the town hall of Montauban.

Solicited by

, Louis le Foyer de Costil, lawyer specializing in local authority law, also wonders about the legality of this device.

“Any administrative decision [in a municipality] must be justified by a local interest,” says the lawyer.

If it is a boost, given to traders because they are in difficulty, that could be admissible.

But if it is ultimately to pursue a national goal, which is not so much to help local traders, as to play politics, and to criticize the government, that might be illegal.

"

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• Languedoc-Roussillon

• Beziers

• Covid 19

• Coronavirus

• Society

• Confinement

• Montauban

• Robert Menard