The administrative court of appeal of Toulouse annulled the decision of the municipality of Béziers to install a nativity scene in the courtyard of honor of the town hall in December 2020. In the first instance, the administrative court of Montpellier , seized by two individuals and the free-thought association of Béziers and surroundings, had dismissed them on the form.
The Court of Appeal considered that the appeal was admissible and therefore ruled on the merits. The judges relied on a case law of the Council of State of 2016. They consider “that the decision to install a Christmas crib (…) disregarded the requirements attached to the principle of neutrality of public persons resulting from the law of December 9 1905 concerning the separation of Church and State”.
The association denounces a “willingness to go on a crusade”
The municipality was ordered to pay 1,500 euros to the association and to individuals for legal costs. “Five times, Robert Ménard [le maire DVD de Béziers] was sentenced between 2014 and 2022″, specifies the association of free thought – United Federation of Hérault. She denounces “a religious symbol within the Town Hall, a building of the Republic, without any tradition except its political will to go on a crusade to serve the “clash of civilizations”, communitarianism, the confrontation between communities”. The city of Béziers can be appeal in cassation before the Council of State.