Invited to speak at the closing of 106my Congress of mayors of France, on Thursday, November 21, the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, assured that he was not “It is neither normal nor fair to show municipalities and local authorities as if they were responsible for the deficit; “That’s not true.” Recalling that he had to draw up a budget in two weeks, Mr. Barnier acknowledged that this text was not “not perfect” and which included “Sometimes there are injustices or points to review”. the municipalities “They are an element of stability, a reference, a point of reference for our compatriots”defended the Prime Minister, ensuring that it was “First of all, it is up to the State to assume responsibility for the current deficit”.
wishing to give “more freedom and greater room for maneuver” Before the approximately 10,000 elected officials present, Michel Barnier announced on Wednesday that he supported a more flexible application of the “zero net artificialization of soils” (ZAN); He specified the calendar in his speech on Thursday. “We will work to ensure that these new provisions are operational from the first half of 2025”said.
The Prime Minister, however, recalled that it is not about ” No [d’]abandon the goal » of the ZAN, but of the“adapt when necessary to achieve this goal”. The emblematic measure of the bill presented by senators Jean-Baptiste Blanc (Les Républicains) and Guislain Cambier (Union de Centre) still aims to eliminate an intermediate objective aimed at halving the rate of artificialization during the decade 2021-2031 with compared to the previous decade.
“The State should not impose anything”
The Government also relaunched the “Beauvau” of the municipal police on Thursday, with the aim of expanding the prerogatives of these agents, unchanged for twenty-five years. This “Beauvau”, initiated by former Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin and bringing together elected officials and unions, must lead to a proposed law in 2025. Among the possible new prerogatives of municipal police officers is the possibility of establishing through judgment of verbal infractions. for simple crimes, to identify the identity of a suspect, to search vehicle trunks, to access more national files, or even to be equipped with drones or surveillance means.
Before the mayors, the Secretary of State for Daily Security, Nicolas Daragon, also a councilor of Valence, insisted on the importance of the principle of free administration of the municipalities. “It is up to the mayors to decide regarding personnel, prerogatives or equipment” of his municipal police, he assured. “There will be no obligation. » “The State should not impose anything”the minister and the mayor insisted, indicating that the objective was to provide the mayors with a “toolbox” from which each elected official will be able to take advantage. “We live in an increasingly violent society”supported the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau. “No territory is spared, neither in the cities nor in the rural areas”.
The mayor of Antibes, Jean Leonetti, warned of a possible “burden transfer that does not say its name” from the national police to the municipal police. “We do not want a covert transfer of cargo without compensation”also noted David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes and president of the Association of French Mayors (AMF). Points of tension have emerged over a number of issues, including the extension of judicial police powers to municipal police officers. These extensions would be limited to simple actions, which would not require investigative actions, assured Benoit Daragon.
At the end of the congress of mayors, Michel Barnier also mentioned the threats of censorship made by the left and the extreme right. “The time ahead of me depends on a possible coalition of opposites, if I may say so, in the National Assembly. I don’t know if this will happen. I’m ready for it. “I know that this is not what the French want, who today want stability, serenity.”declared the Prime Minister.
