Olivier Véran was visiting Moselle this Friday. The government spokesperson, also Minister of Democratic Renewal, began his tour with a visit to the Secours populaire premises in Hayange. The city’s National Rally (RN) mayor Fabien Engelmann was absent, unlike several opposition elected officials.
The president of the association Anne Duflot explained to the minister that its premises had “been deprived of gas and electricity” in winter by the town hall which considers that the association is occupying municipal premises without its agreement. In response, Olivier Véran announced the release of 20,000 euros.
This sum, paid to the association as part of the Solidarity Pact, will be “welcome to buy food, prepare Christmas and holidays for children” who cannot leave, reacted Anne Duflot, according to whom “food begins to be missed.” Associations fighting against poverty have launched several cries of alarm since the start of the school year regarding their situation and that of precarious people. Several volunteers recalled that the association, which “is not in politics”, welcomes “everyone, without judgement”.
During the visit to the center of Hayange, Mayor Fabien Engelmann assured Olivier Véran that the municipality supported associations fighting against poverty, by having “doubled the subsidies for Restos du coeur” or given new premises to Secours Catholic. But the town hall accuses Secours populaire of having “politicized” its speech and of occupying its premises “without rights, titles or insurance”.
Justice seized several times
For her part, Anne Duflot reports having been accused of “anarcho-communist”. “I went to cities on the left, on the right, […] I have never seen a city so far that had decided to cut off electricity and gas” to such an association, declared Olivier Véran.
“Why are associations saturated? It is linked to this massive immigration” in France, replied Fabien Engelmann, also deploring a lack of consideration by the government of the impoverishment of the French population. The councilor took legal action on several occasions, giving rise to six legal decisions, all in favor of Secours populaire, to obtain the departure of this association, installed since 2005 in municipal premises made available by the then socialist town hall. .
Olivier Véran left quickly after learning of the knife attack in a high school in Arras.