Brigitte Barèges is back at the helm and she wanted to share her joy with her constituents, after his release last December by the Toulouse Court of Appeal. In the first instance, 9 months earlier, the mayor LR of Montauban had been sentenced to five years of ineligibility – and therefore left her seat as mayor to her first deputy, Axel de Labriolle. She took it back ten months later.
During her wishes for 2022 to the Montalbanais, Brigitte Barèges therefore wanted to mark the occasion. And contrary to government recommendations, yesterday it brought together nearly 400 people in the Eurythmy space. A choice that raises questions in a still tense health context.
Why did you want to maintain this greeting ceremony in Montauban: 400 people gathered last night in a room and this, while we are still in the midst of an epidemic?
I see that we start again with the polemics. It was a show that we offered to the Montalbanais, free, as we do every year. And you know, in the “at the same time” of Macron, we were authorized to do shows for up to 2,000 people: you see, we were really below the gauge.
Finally the object all the same, it was to present your wishes to the inhabitants. Jean Castex said “all the vows ceremonies planned for January will be cancelled”. Was it a vows ceremony yesterday, Brigitte Barèges?
No, it was a show since we had a comedian called Yann Jamet, I recommend you listen to him, and who is a remarkable comedian and who, moreover, perfectly imitates all the singers in the repertoire. We spent 1h30 of frank laughter and it feels good this period of disaster organized by the State. So, it is true that just before, for half an hour, we screened a film that outlines what was done by the town hall.
So you are convinced, Brigitte Barèges, of not having posed any risk to these 400 inhabitants who came to see you? So of course, there was a health pass, masks, but still, 400 masks are gathered in the same room.
A room that is normally planned with a capacity of 1,300 people. You see that we had plenty of space. I specify besides that last Saturday, there was the concert of the Academy of Montauban, where there were there almost 600 people. Madam the prefect was present and that did not pose a problem either.
I did not play on words. I put on a real show.
You are looking for controversy but I will answer you. It is “at the same time” of Mr. Macron, that is to say: we authorize shows for up to 2,000 people and I am well below the gauge.. But at the same time, vows are forbidden for perhaps political reasons.
But if ever some people declare themselves positive, if there is a cluster that forms afterwards, after the rally, what are you going to say, Brigitte Barèges?
There was no cluster. There was an extremely rigorous entry control since everyone was checked, of course with checks on health passes.
This ceremony was obviously very special for you, after your release before the Court of Appeal in December. Were you happy to find your inhabitants?
You can imagine of course, a great happiness. Because 10 months of exile, I say purgatory. 10 months of inactivity when our time is running out. I often say that the elected officials, we are in CDD: it is six years a mandate, I lost two of them. I have four years left to carry out the projects that I promised to the Montalbanais. Don it was an opportunity to take stock and then above all, to find the population, it’s true.
If there was one thing that this legal battle has changed for you, what would it be, Brigitte Barèges?
More than ever, I am motivated to fight injustice, whatever it is. I find it absolutely inadmissible that what I have suffered can be done to elected officials. And they are many. Unfortunately, they are always on the right.
And what I must also say is that finally, I had great doubts about justice. You know that I am a lawyer, I practiced this profession for 30 years with great happiness. I even wanted to be a magistrate. Well, I have to thank. I say it even if it doesn’t happen. But I thank once again the magistrates of the Court of Appeal who were objective, neutral, honest and who spoke the law and did me justice. I think it deserves to be underlined in these times.
The presidential election is approaching and do you support against all odds the candidate of your party, Valérie Pécresse?
It’s my political family. I fell into it when I was little. My father was a Gaullist. He was president at the time of the RPR du Tarn. I myself have been president of the federation for about twenty years now.
Well my party is Valérie Pécresse, we only have one candidate.
Valérie Pécresse was in the Lot yesterday, were you with her?
_ _No, I was not in the Lot. First, we found out a little late. She will come to Montauban. It was a subject that concerned public services in rural areas. This is not quite the subject of the mayor of Montauban.
But in any case, Valérie Pécresse will go to Montauban. I am the president of his support committee in my department, so there is no ambiguity about me.
And will you be, after the presidential election, a candidate for the legislative elections or will you devote yourself to Montauban?
There is still the subject of the non-cumulation of mandates and I have a little catching up to do. I only have four years ahead of me to complete major structuring projects for my city and for my agglomeration. And I want to devote myself entirely to it.