The inhabitants of Sables-d’Olonne will be able to vote for whether or not to maintain the statue of Saint-Michel in the square of the same name. Last December, the administrative court of Nantes, seized by an association for the defense of secularism, ordered the town hall to tear down this statue, on the grounds that it is located in public space, based on the law on secularism of 1905. A decision that the mayor contests on appeal. At the same time, Yannick Moreau decided to consult his constituents by organizing a “citizen vote”.
Would you like the Saint-Michel statue to remain in front of the Saint-Michel church?
The terms were presented this Friday by the first deputy Armel Pécheul. All Sablais who are registered on the electoral lists will be able to vote as well as all the owners of secondary residences, which makes “about 70,000 people”. In fact, this vote will be spread over several days. From February 25 to March 5, people will be able to vote on the Internet and, on March 5, they will also be able to vote, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in five polling stations which will be distributed throughout the city. “This is not a classic election”, specifies the elected official. “This vote is not provided for in the electoral code or in the general code of local authorities, whether in its form or its methods”, continues the chosen one. “On the other hand, we give it a guarantee of seriousness so that it makes sense, that it is not just a poll.” The question will be the following: “Do you want the Saint-Michel statue to remain in front of the Saint-Michel church?”.
We will be much stronger and much more determined if we are followed by our population
However, this vote did not no legal value. So what will it be used for? “First, we will be able to measure whether the Sablais are really interested in the question or if it is a fantasy of journalists or elected officials”, explains Armel Pécheul who thinks that, yes, the Sablais are interested in it. “And then, depending on the response, we will be even more determined, we hope, to defend our position in court since it is out of the question to question their decisions. There are ways for that which are jurisdictional ways. On the other hand, we will be much stronger and much more determined if we are followed by our population”. And if the majority of Sablais answers no to the question of the vote? “We are not going to start with a negative view of things”, replies the chosen one in a small laugh.
A precedent in Sables-d’Olonne
This vote will not be the first in Sables-d’Olonne. In 2019, the municipality had already questioned the population about closing or keeping open the coastal road at the level of the pit of hell. The second option won out. And organizing this type of vote is also a campaign promise, at the rate of two or three during the mandate.