The traditional Christmas tree at Place Pey-Berland in Bordeaux -

M.Bosredon / 20 Minutes

  • Mayor EELV of Bordeaux Pierre Hurmic announced on Thursday that he no longer wanted the traditional Christmas tree on Place Pey-Berland

  • He explains that he no longer wants to "put dead trees in town squares."

  • The opposition reacted strongly, speaking of "a violation of the traditions and the image of Bordeaux".

The back-to-school surprise.

Thursday, during a press conference, the new EELV mayor of Bordeaux Pierre Hurmic, slipped through a whole battery of measures, that he would remove the traditional Christmas tree from Place Pey-Berland.

“We will not put dead trees in the city squares and in particular the Pey-Berland square.

I remember this dead tree that we brought in every year… This is not at all our conception of revegetation, ”explained the green mayor of Bordeaux.

"Place Pey Berland will be green this winter" announces the mayor of #bordeaux.

Network studies have already started.

#nature

- 20minutesbordeaux (@ 20minutesbord) September 10, 2020

A decision that did not take long to react in the political sphere and beyond.

Opponent MoDem Fabien Robert, and former first deputy mayor, slipped on Twitter a "Bordeaux, sad city".

Bordeaux, sad city ... https://t.co/0UVMrqIi9O

- Fabien ROBERT (@fabienrobert) September 10, 2020

For Hauts-de-France President Xavier Bertrand, “the Christmas tree like the Tour de France are traditions that unite us”.

Call me old world if you want, but the Christmas tree, @LeTour de France and all those traditions that unite us will always be the glue of a society.

#Bordeaux #Lyon https://t.co/bR6y53dVrG

- Xavier Bertrand (@xavierbertrand) September 11, 2020

The regional councilor and senatorial candidate, Yves d'Amécourt (Mouvement de la Ruralité / Les Républicains), is also offended by this decision.

"History is first played out like a drama and repeats itself like a comedy" Jacques Ellul, of whom the new mayor of #Bordeaux @PierreHurmic was a disciple.

pic.twitter.com/nXi4hiieqU

- Yves d'Amécourt (@yvesdamecourt) September 11, 2020

20 Minutes

learned this Friday that a petition was launched on change.org, “for the maintenance of this tree, symbol of tradition, celebration and magic for young and old alike.

We don't want Bordeaux to become a sad city, especially during the holiday season.

"

"A departure from the tradition of family celebrations and the end of the year"

Contacted this Friday by

20 Minutes

, the opposition municipal councilor Fabien Robert reacted strongly to this decision.

“This is not the priority subject in Bordeaux, and this fir must not become the tree that hides the forest of problems in Bordeaux.

But it's pathetic.

Pierre Hurmic explained on the radio a few days ago that he was not there to do com, if that is not com what is it?

It's purely communication to please a minority of people in Bordeaux who have a problem with the fact that we cut trees for decoration, which I can hear, but we are talking about the end celebrations of the year, family gatherings.

I am not talking of religion, but of tradition.

From my point of view, it's a departure from the tradition of family celebrations and the end of the year.

"

The former deputy for culture of Bordeaux also believes that "it is a distortion of the image of Bordeaux".

“This extremely bright tree in front of the cathedral rose window, how many times have we seen it on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram?

We are in the era of the image and we degrade the image of Bordeaux.

"For the elected MoDem," all this is emblematic of what is happening in France with these ecological town halls which, contrary to what they say, attack symbols of France, such as the Tour de France ".

Too high a cost?

Environmentalists, for their part, put forward the cost of this Christmas tree, which would amount to "several tens of thousands of euros" and ensure that they will replace this tree with live shows on the Place Pey-Berland.

I just read "the environmentalists they will kill the magic of Christmas".



Seriously, the installation of a tree that costs the community SEVERAL TENS THOUSANDS OF EUROS each year, for a tree, all large all alone that ends up in the trash, is it magic?

- 🌻 Harmonie Lecerf 🌻 (@ Ecolaw2) September 10, 2020

"Let's do both, nothing prevents adding shows to the Christmas tree, even if there is already a program of Christmas festivities in this city", continues Fabien Robert.

The elected representative also recalls that the Pey-Berland square had been fitted out twenty years ago to accommodate this Christmas tree: “The square was designed with the tree, we told the architects to take the Christmas tree into account.

"

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  • Family

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  • Tradition

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