To defend a drop in subsidies to local flying clubs, the environmentalist mayor of Poitiers had mentioned the idea that "air travel should no longer be part of children's dreams".

Words that sparked a strong reaction in the political world.

Léonore Moncond'huy, she puts forward "a question of prioritization". 

The controversy agitated the political sphere throughout the weekend.

During a city council on March 29, a "rebalancing" of subsidies to sports associations was voted by the city of Poitiers, as well as the reduction of subsidies granted to two local flying clubs.

During the meeting, the environmental mayor, who invoked the climate emergency, notably declared: "The air, it's sad, but must no longer be part of children's dreams today".

Faced with the scale of the controversy, the elected representative justified herself on Saturday defending a "question of prioritization"

What did the city council really decide?

The city council voted a "rebalancing" of subsidies to sports associations, to the benefit of some in great difficulty due to the coronavirus pandemic, and therefore in particular voted to reduce subsidies to two aeroclubs in Poitiers.

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During the debate, the municipal majority recalled that the survival of the associations in question is "not threatened" by the drop in subsidies.

But Léonore Moncond'huy assured "to assume" the fact that "public money should no longer finance sports based on the consumption of exhaustible resources". 

“The issue of the climate emergency involves reviewing all of our software,” she said.

While defending herself from a "dogmatic position", she considered that "the air is sad, but should no longer be part of children's dreams today". 

The mayor defends a "prioritization" 

While this decision sparked strong reactions on social networks, on Saturday, Léonore Moncond'huy spoke in a video posted on Twitter to respond to the attacks.

"This decision, we had to take it for the flying clubs but also for other associations because we absolutely had to release funds", she explains.

"This decision is also consistent with the global ecological project that we are carrying. It is a question of prioritization, a question of sobriety," she said again. 

[Thread] An exchange in the City Council of #Poitiers arouses controversy?


My explanatory thread, for a substantive debate.

pic.twitter.com/21483QDqwL

- Léonore Moncond'huy (@L_Moncondhuy) April 3, 2021

The anger of the president of one of the flying clubs

For Jean-Marie Arnault, president of the Aéroclub du Poitou, whose annual budget of 8,000 euros will be halved in 2021, then abolished in 2022, the city's decision is unfair.

“France has always been the cradle of aviation,” he reminds the microphone of Europe 1. “It's a bit like wanting to punish all these kids who only dream of flying, and there are a lot of them. ", he still regrets. 

It remains to be seen whether the justifications of the elected environmentalist will suffice to calm the controversy.

Since Friday, Léonore Moncond'huy's decision has in any case been attacked by a large part of the political staff.

On Friday, Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, a former pilot, denounced "authoritarian and moribund rantings", while Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire described Sunday as "totally stupid" the mayor's remarks. 

"Make your life a dream, and a dream a reality" - Saint-Exupéry, pilot, writer and humanist.

Far from these authoritarian and moribund rantings.

https://t.co/ep5wFsJmOn

- Jean-Baptiste Djebbari (@Djebbari_JB) April 2, 2021

"In a few months, we could make a best of all the sectarian decisions of the mayors Europe Ecology The Greens", for her part mocked the Minister for Citizenship Marlène Schiappa, guest of the

Great Meeting Europe 1 / Les Echos / CNews

. 

Marine Le Pen, president of the RN, pointed out "the true face of these 'greens' who have nothing to do with environmental protection" but according to her want to "prohibit, punish, charge, curb innovation, destroy the sectors of industrial excellence such as nuclear and aeronautics, attacking children's dreams ".

The mayor of Poitiers was however able to count on the support of other elected officials such as that of the EELV mayor of Grenoble Eric Piolle. "Léonore Moncond'huy is telling the truth, he tweeted. Crossing France or the planet in a #plane every weekend is the dream of our parents, less of our children. Faced with the upheavals of the world, let's accompany the transition of our aviation industry, as the @Conv_Citoyenne demands ".