“Between casualness and disinterest. This is how Jean-François Husson, rapporteur for the senatorial commission of inquiry into the Marianne fund, describes the attitude of Marlène Schiappa. After the hearings, in particular, of the former Minister Delegate for Citizenship, of his former chief of staff Christian Gravel, of Mohamed Sifaoui, of Ahlam Menouni, president of “Rebuild the common”, the conclusions of the commission presented Thursday are final. .
Marlene Schiappa lied. If it is not up to the commission to decide on a possible perjury of the current Secretary of State for the Social and Solidarity Economy, the latter has indeed lied, at least in the press. “When we say that we did not participate, in no way in the selection [des associations pour le fonds Marianne], in view of the commissions of inquiry, there is no doubt, it is at least an unfortunate sentence”, comments Claude Raynal, the president of the commission of inquiry. “If there was a false statement from the minister, there was one against the French, against the press,” he insists.
“Fact of the prince”
From the first revelations concerning the allocation of grants within the framework of the Marianne fund, created in 2021 following the assassination of Samuel Paty to fight against separatism on social networks, Marlène Schiappa maintained that she was not never intervened. But the calendar says something else. “It is very clear that the cabinet of the minister and the minister exceeded their role, by supporting the candidacy of the USEPPM [Union des sociétés d’éducation physique et de préparation militaire, association de Mohamed Sifaoui] “, thus underline the senators, according to which this subsidy had already been envisaged “upstream of the creation and the announcement of the Marianne fund”.
Another problem: Contrary to what she has always maintained, Marlène Schiappa did “intervene to reconsider the selection committee” and in particular on the choice of SOS Racisme, finally excluded from the associations selected for the Marianne fund. “The selection of projects was stopped after May 21”, but “an email dated June 1 indicates the decision to exclude this association taken during a meeting with the minister”, points out the commission of inquiry. The allocation of a grant of 20,000 euros to another association in place of SOS Racisme “is the act of the prince”, still judges the commission.
Lies and “political coup”
Thus, “during the hearings, we found a lot of contradictory testimony, adjustments, repetitions of terms in an attempt to circumvent this reality. It is not for us to be judges. […] As for the minister, we interviewed her for three hours […] she largely discarded herself on the administration and she had a lot of memory loss. Some speeches are appalling and distressing, ”tackles Jean-François Husson.
“Our work paints the picture of the failures of the policy pursued by the government, decides the commission. Yes, some associations have done substantive, real work and cannot be called into question. But the label of the Marianne fund becomes a burden, I would even say a burden attached to the allegory of the Republic. We regret the consequences of this affair, and we must hope that, despite the disastrous image, none of the actors will be discouraged from defending the message of the Republic against separatism”, breathes Jean-François Husson. “The lack of rigor, opacity and flippancy led to the fiasco” of the fund against separatism, according to the commission, which describes it as a “political coup”.