"I warn you, Mr. President: this debate should not become the big bluff!": Mayors have warned Emmanuel Macron Friday that the words alone would not be enough to end the crisis of "yellow vests" on the eve of the act 10 of the movement.
The head of state had wished Tuesday a debate "without taboo". Elected officials took it at the word, during the second major consultation held in front of more than 600 mayors of 13 departments of Occitania, Souillac, in the Lot.
"Operation com ', a masquerade, smoking?" The first was the president of the association of rural mayors of the Lot, Christian Venries, who pronounced a severe indictment against the president and his predecessors. This big debate, is it "an operation of com ', a masquerade, smoking?" Asked the mayor of Saint-Cirgues, lambasting the "completely disconnected laws", which are "laid in the Paris offices ". "I hope you are not in the position of 'tell me what you need, I will explain how to do without'". "We must stop throwing the weakest food," he said to the head of state, who took notes, sitting in the front row. In a more measured tone, sometimes tinged with humor, other elected officials echoed the grievances of their fellow citizens, while thanking the president for coming. "When we go into contact in this land of rugby, it makes sense," greeted one of them.
Concerns and queries. In introduction, Emmanuel Macron wished that this national consultation has as "vocation to recreate by the deliberation, this part of consensus which we need". At the forefront of the concerns expressed by mayors is the weakening of public services in rural areas, which feel disadvantaged. "Broadband Internet and 4G are lacking (...) Despite the assurances of Orange, the work is delayed," denounced Agnès Simon-Picquet, Mayor of Junies, who asks the State of " compel the operators to keep the commitments ". A request applauded by the audience. The emotion was then palpable when Emmanuel Macron and the 600 mayors rose and applauded at length the town of Trèbes, common Aude struck in 2018 by an attack that killed four people and a flood that killed six people. October.
Eric Menassi, mayor of Trèbes (Aude) is applauded upright by the whole room
# GrandDébatNational to # Souillac # La26pic.twitter.com / bTFVzpEd53
"Macronneries". Souillac had been placed under very high security. This did not stop dozens of protesters - "yellow vests", local retirees and young masked - to come and protest: "Manu, stop your macronnerie, you will not succeed in falling asleep with your big debate", proclaimed a banner of "yellow vests aveyronnais angry". In the morning, protesters clashed with the police, who pushed them away, sometimes with truncheons, and proceeded to two arrests.
Surprise visit. As Tuesday in the Eure, the head of state made before this appointment a surprise visit in the morning, this time in a school in Saint-Sozy, about fifteen kilometers from Souillac. Accompanied by two ministers, he notably discussed with parents, pupils of CE1-CE2, and signed autographs on the notebooks. When he left school, the president had a long discussion with residents, including a student nurse, who challenged him about disability, and retired people. "I'm not deaf, that's why I'm going to contact," said the president to a craftsman.
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360 debates identified from Saturday. A new meeting with elected officials is scheduled for January 24 or 25, in a place that the Elysee must announce. "The idea is to have one to two meetings a week, depending on the international agenda, and keep meetings that are human-sized," said Sebastien Lecornu, Minister in charge of Territorial Communities and co-host of the big debate. Some 360 debates, starting on Saturday, are currently referenced on the platform, said Sébastien Lecornu: 40% organized by local elected officials, local authorities, 40% by citizens and 20% by associations.
New events scheduled for Saturday
Launched in a hurry, the big debate is organized little by little. Some 94% of French people say they have heard about the big debate. But 64% remain skeptical about its usefulness and only 29% intend to participate, according to a survey Odoxa Dentsu Consulting released Thursday. Despite the debate, new gatherings of "yellow vests" are planned Saturday. Shopkeepers in large urban centers, which are seeing their sales slump, are worried about "Saturday too many".