Europe 1 with AFP 7:33 p.m., September 2, 2021, modified at 7:34 p.m., September 2, 2021

The head of state drew Thursday evening the outlines of his massive investment plan to help the Marseillais.

Emmanuel Macron has made the renovation of infrastructures and the improvement of the educational offer a major axis of his policy for the Marseille city.

Helping Marseille, "Athens of the Mediterranean", is "a duty of the Nation". Thursday evening, at the Palais du Pharo, Emmanuel Macron delivered the details of his massive investment plan for the second largest city in France, baptized "Marseille en grand" and considered by its architect as "good for the whole country". Because in the Phocaean city, "the emergency is security, social and health", insisted the Head of State during a long speech of more than an hour and a half. 

On the social and health level, no less than 169 million euros will be released for the renovation of the Timone hospital and the North hospital, when an additional 50 million euros will be allocated for the mother-child center and the women's house.

Thirty educators and 30 mediators will be recruited from neighborhoods in difficulty, especially the northern neighborhoods of the city.

In schools, the Head of State wants to experiment with the freedom of choice of teachers by school directors.  

A new police station for 150 million euros

On the security side, 200 of the 300 police officers announced as reinforcements in February 2021 will arrive in 2022 instead of 2023. The two CRS companies present since March will be made permanent while 500 cameras will be put in place, the Head of State having been commended for their alleged contribution to crime reduction.

A new police station will also be created for an amount of 150 million euros.

For transport and infrastructure, the city's port will be electrified and the Miramas freight station renovated.

"The link between the port and the European hinterland will be the subject of European investments", he also promised during his speech, which followed that of Benoît Payan, mayor of the city.