It was a year ago. Emmanuel Macron landed in Marseille and took out the checkbook. At the end of a visit of several days in the second city of France, the President of the Republic promised a plan of massive investment and in several sectors. A year later, schools with Macron sauce made their first comeback, signing there the first application of one of the flagship measures of this “Marseille en grand” plan. But what about other projects? 20 minutes goes around (and counts).
Transport: a billion and questions
It was one of the emblematic announcements of the head of state. To catch up with the consequent delay of the second city of France, Emmanuel Macron had promised funding of one billion euros, including 250 million in subsidies, paid to a public interest group. This sum was to be used to finance the automation of the metro, but also the creation of four tram lines and five bus lines with a high level of service.
A few weeks later, in an interview with 20 minutes, the president of the RTM Catherine Pila indicated that there would be no creation strictly speaking, but rather two extensions of the North-South tramway, already in the projects of the metropolis. Thus, on the one hand, Catherine Pila promised to extend the tramway, first between Castellane and La Gaye in 2025 and between La Gaye and La Rouvière in 2028. Last February, the metropolis organized a press visit to follow the future route of the Val’Tram, which will connect five municipalities in the east of Marseille by 2025. The last project consists of the creation of a tram in the popular district of Belle de Mai for 2030.
A year later, this provisional timetable has already fallen behind, as revealed by Marsactu. “For the first phase of the North-South tramway, it will be July 2025, details for 20 minutes Yves Moraine, responsible for the metropolis to follow the progress of the Marseille plan on a large scale. For the Catalans tramway, it will be the first half of 2028. And phase 2 of the North-South tramway is scheduled for 2029. The consultation for this phase 2 has made good progress and will be completed at the end of the year. The feasibility study was completed in June and the project management this fall. »
The President of the Republic had also announced that “arrangements” would be made to facilitate service to the airport “by the end of 2023”, with a view to the Olympic Games. If the president of the Metropolis affirmed last February that the cable car project was still relevant, Yves Moraine is more cautious. “In a document given to me last July, it is stated that the feasibility studies have been completed since 2019 but that the financing plan is not complete. So, probably, it will not be in the billion! »
“The first train of the future Marseille metro has just left the assembly plant in Valenciennes, and the first tests will now begin, specifies the metropolis to 20 minutes. For several months, work on the extension of the Marseille tramway to the north and south has been underway. All the rerouting work is practically complete, the infrastructure work began in March 2022 in the three work sectors. Concerning the BHLS B4, the studies follow their course and the requalification of the boulevard Arnavon will soon begin. »
Culture: a memorandum of understanding soon to be signed
During his speech at the Pharo, Emmanuel Macron said he was ready to support Costa Gavras in his project to create a Marseille branch of the Cinémathèque française. “We will also set up a CinéFabrique school in Marseille, for 18/25 year olds, as was done successfully in Lyon. For these two projects, according to our information, a memorandum of understanding between the State, the city, the metropolis and the region will be signed on September 14. “We have found sites for these two structures”, announces cultural assistant Jean-Marc Coppola, promising more details after the signing.
As for the projects of large studios in the Mediterranean, Jean-Marc Coppola indicates that this infrastructure would be provided by the private sector, in “a large part of the former site of Saint-Louis Sucre”. “There won’t be a dime from the taxpayer in there. »
Security: CRS, cars… but no cameras
The President of the Republic had gone to Marseille after a particularly deadly summer, punctuated by repeated settling of accounts. Consequently, the Head of State had multiplied announcements to the police, promising all over the place “more than 8 million euros to equip the police officers of Marseilles with digital investigation means, new vehicles, 222 cars and motorbikes in the summer”. In addition to additional material resources, Emmanuel Macron had undertaken to provide the Marseille city with 200 additional police officers in 2022.
A year later, three CRS companies, representing 240 police officers, were deployed in the department. “We must recognize that promises are kept on staff or material resources, admits a union source. On the other hand, on the video surveillance, it did not move one iota. The president had indeed announced the financing of 500 video surveillance cameras, for an overall envelope of one million euros, but the question electrifies relations between the State and the city of Marseille, not really favorable to this kind of infrastructure. During a visit this summer to Marseille, the Minister of the Interior thus deplored that only around fifty cameras will soon be deployed in the Marseille city, and called on the mayor of Marseille to “do his part”.