a mayor makes a Nazi salute during the municipal council, the prefect takes legal action

The councilor of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Philippe Gaudin, apologized for an “unfortunate gesture”, after an agitated session devoted to the municipal budget.

The prefect of Val-de-Marne will refer the matter to the public prosecutor of Créteil after the mayor of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges made a Nazi salute in the municipal council, the prefecture announced on Sunday April 21. “Such a gesture, which was the subject of numerous testimonies addressed to the representative of the State, is completely unacceptable”it is written in a press release.

The municipal council of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges met on Saturday to vote on the annual budget of this commune of around 35,000 inhabitants, located around fifteen kilometers south of Paris. Lacking a majority, Philippe Gaudin, various right-wing mayor since 2020, failed to have his budget adopted on April 15, the deadline set by law, due to a boycott by many elected officials. He was then given a deadline until Saturday.

During the session, the tone rose between the elected environmentalist Birol Biyik, and Philippe Gaudin, the first accusing the second of an alliance with the extreme right to take the city in 2020. Exasperated, the mayor then suspended the session and made a Nazi salute, which he even repeated, “the second time with the lyrics”, accused deputy Emmanuelly Gougounan-Zadigue on BFMTV. Questioned by this channel, Philippe Gaudin apologized for a “unfortunate gesture”evoking “a joke” and no “a sign of belonging”.

“It’s an anti-Semitic act”on the contrary estimated Emmanuelly Gouguugnan-Zadigue, asking for the resignation of the mayor and indicating his desire to “file a complaint” against him with several other elected officials. In its press release, the prefecture also indicated that it would contact the regional audit chamber (CRC) of Ile-de-France, which “will propose the necessary measures to establish a balanced budget allowing a budget to be adopted”.