Finally after three years of procrastination, the Council of Ministers should decide this Wednesday.
Catherine Pgard, 69, will leave the management of the Palace of Versailles after nearly thirteen years at its head.
She will give up her chair to Christophe Leribault, the current director of the Musée d'Orsay (Paris 7th).
Since the creation of the public establishment in 1995, the former journalist has held the record for longevity in this position.
Appointed in 2011 by Nicolas Sarkozy, she was reappointed in 2016 by François Hollande, then in 2019 by Emmanuel Macron for a final three-year term.
She learned of his departure from the press
Reached by the age limit since March 4, 2021 and the cumulative number of mandates since October 2022, Catherine Pgard should normally have already left her chair as president.
However, a decision of February 23, 2021 from the Ministry of Culture entrusting him with his own interim position allowed him to play overtime.
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She hoped to host in person the equestrian events of the Paris Olympic Games this summer.
This will not be the case.
The government has decided to put an end to a controversial situation, apparently without informing him.
According to certain sources, she learned of his departure through the press.
“A form of misuse of power”
Last November, the Court of Auditors had in fact raised this anomaly.
“The decisions it takes could be challenged in court, particularly in terms of incurring the expense.
[…] In this case, the maintenance of Ms. Pgard could even be assimilated to a form of misuse of power insofar as the absence of designation of a successor for already more than twenty-seven months results from a failure which reflects on the part of the State, if not a deliberate will of the State, at least a lack of anticipation.
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Before him, in January 2023, the Senate had refused to vote on an amendment allowing him to stay in office until the Olympics.
The former advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy who chaired, throughout last year, the festivities for the 400th anniversary of the Palace of Versailles, is expected this Thursday morning to unveil the restoration work on the Apollo basin.
Her last public outing as president of the castle.