Le Figaro Marseille
At the beginning of March, strong gusts of icy wind are blowing over Canebière, like the climate that reigns between the mayor, Benoît Payan, and the president of the department and the metropolis, Martine Vassal.
Thursday, a meeting between the two political representatives, once competitors in the votes to take the head of France's second city, turned into a political crisis.
For more than an hour, Martine Vassal and Benoît Payan spoke during a work meeting, initiated following yet another skirmish that occurred during the last municipal council meeting on February 16.
On the agenda: the payment of aid to municipalities from the department to the city of Marseille.
In the press, Martine Vassal was moved to have received no response to this proposal, when, in the hemicycle, Benoît Payan insisted that on the contrary he had requested the department to obtain a grant of 371 million euros aimed at financing 98 projects in the city of Marseille.
At 6 p.m., a press release from Martine Vassal fanned the first embers of a fire of discord which would then ignite the Marseille political microcosm.
“It is with regret that I note that the hand that I had extended on behalf of the department in the interest of Marseille and the people of Marseillais was refused by Benoît Payan,”
we can read in this press release.
After a long discussion, this aid which seemed essential to me for the city of Marseille did not come to fruition, the mayor considering that it did not meet its needs.
The Bouches-du-Rhône department is not a cash drawer.”
Millions and questions
The versions on this disagreement diverge, without knowing whether there is a major communication problem between these two or a fool's game.
“He came with projects but he didn’t even show them to me,”
says Martine Vassal.
I am devastated by what happened, if not hallucinated.
He told me it was 371 million euros or nothing.
For my part, I explained that it was like that.
I put 200 million euros per year into aid for municipalities, in a three-year contract between the town hall and the department.
And that, obviously, if he needed more before the three years, we would renew the contract!
It took me an hour and a half to explain that to him.”
“I can hear that we do not agree on the 371 million euros
,” retorts Benoît Payan.
“I know the catastrophic state of the department’s finances.
It is a department which has tripled its debt, which today no longer has the capacity to take on additional debt.
It's a department that is in the red, which is probably the most poorly managed department in the country.
She told me it would be very difficult.
I actually believe that she did not want to admit to me that she no longer had any money and that she is in a situation that worries me a lot.”
“I told him that I was leaving him the list of projects,”
says Benoît Payan
.
And I suggested that we meet again next week so that she could tell me what we could start working on.”
According to Martine Vassal, on the contrary, there would first have been an agreement on the granting of 200 million euros.
“He asked me to make a joint press release.
I accepted, but I then saw in what he had sent us that he did not mention the 200 million euros
,” annoys the president of the metropolis.
Martine Vassal then telephones Benoît Payan.
“I told him that if he didn’t say thank you in this press release, it didn’t matter, I’m used to it.
But let him at least ensure that it is written that we have taken note of a contract of 200 million euros over three years.
“She called me to tell me that she no longer agreed,”
retorts the mayor of Marseille
.
It was either we signed the 200 million euros now, or she didn't want to put her teams to work.
And half an hour later this press release comes out.
And my arms drop
. ”
Read alsoMarseille: between Benoît Payan and Renaud Muselier, war is declared
A written commitment
According to the president of the metropolis, Benoît Payan ultimately declined this aid proposal of 200 million euros.
“I think he is not capable of making proposals, so that’s why he refused the 200 million euros,”
says Martine Vassal.
He has no vision for Marseille and he has done nothing for three years!
»
“But who can imagine that I will refuse 200 million euros,”
fumes the mayor of Marseille
.
What world are we in?
Is this the world of care bears?
But how can we take the Marseillais to this extent for imbeciles?
Am I going to take this 200 million?
Forgive me, but this question is stupid!”
“The department is not doing its job,”
Benoît Payan further accuses.
Martine Vassal presides over a metropolis which is in the process of massacring Marseille.
There is no public transport, no more metro after 9:30 p.m., trash that is not collected... Where is this money?
Who does she give it to?
She thinks we can't see what's happening?
You just have to walk around the rest of the metropolis to realize that in fact, she takes our money, and puts it elsewhere, with her friends.
You have to be fair.”
“I saw in the press that he finally accepted the 200 million euros, but I wrote him a letter
,” explains Martine Vassal.
In this letter addressed this Friday morning to the mayor of Marseille and sent to Le
Figaro
by Martine Vassal's entourage, the president of the department once again addresses Benoît Payan.
“It is with regret that I once again note the considerable delay in the exceptional aid of 200 million euros that the Bouches-du-Rhône department wishes to provide to the city of Marseille
,” writes this last, which deplores
“circumvolutions”
linked to a
“difficulty in agreeing, with your heterogeneous majority, on the priorities of your mandate.”
“Words pass, but writings remain”
“In order to avoid wasting any more time, I am indicating to you, very clearly and unambiguously, the procedure to follow to benefit from it
,” insists the text.
The president of the metropolis then asks Benoît Payan for a written commitment on the subject.
“Before any further discussion, I ask you to kindly write to me your explicit agreement to accept the new partnership of 200 million euros that the Departmental Council is offering you,”
we can read.
I also ask you to attach to your response letter the desired projects as well as the amounts.”
“I wrote this letter because the words pass, but the writings remain
,” explains Martine Vassal.
During the interview given to Le
Figaro
this Friday, Benoît Payan and his teams claimed not to have been the recipient of such a letter.
“But I don’t care what she writes,”
storms the mayor of Marseille.
I have plans for 371 million euros.
If she only wants to give 200 million euros, she will give it.
Charge to her.
I'll take everything, even 50 million euros.
But she will hear me.
If she wants to continue punishing the Marseillais, she will punish the Marseillais.
The aim of the game is for Marseille to fail.
This is what they want, because they are angry at not having won Marseille and it is stuck in their throats.”
At the end of Thursday's meeting, the date for another meeting to move forward on the issue was set for next week.
A moment of work between community agents.
Without Martine Vassal and without Benoît Payan.