“Controversy sparked over cost and attendees of Politéïa festival”

What is the price to pay to mount a festival dedicated to freedom? Maybe in two years, date envisaged for the 2^e edition of the Politéïa festival of ideas, this questioning will lead a round table. In the meantime, it is on the occasion of another round table, municipal this one, that this cycle of conferences has been debated.

Manon Pellicori (EELV) took advantage of the budget review, weighted with a line of cash in the amount of €70,000, to formulate this question betraying a certain insinuation: “Would it be possible to carry out a survey to know the public who came to this festival? In short, have we touched different categories? Note that this request for an explanation comes from an elected opposition member who fully assumes her absence from this first festival of ideas organized in Thionville from March 16 to 19. Reason invoked: “With Édouard Philippe and Bernard Cazeneuve as speakers, it did not make me want…”

It is an understatement to say that the intervention raised a salvo of criticism in the camp of the majority.

Union rate applied to speakers

Culture officer, Jackie Helfgott was moved by this position: “Summarizing such a moment at the arrival of Philippe and Cazeneuve is restrictive…” A bit angry, the municipal deputy did not show any embarrassment as to the budget extension pointed out by the opponent: “The scale of this festival has become more important. »

However, he assures us: no madness escorts this great premiere. On the contrary, the organization, supported by the City and the association Des Mots & Débats, paid the speakers at the lowest rate: “We applied the union rate, i.e. €350 per speaker plus transport costs, housing and food. »

This brings the total budget for this event to precisely €129,812. That is approximately a final expenditure of €100,000 by subtracting the receipts (€26,000) generated by the festival: “No less than 6,000 visitors to Thionville over these two and a half days of conferences, numerous rave reviews gleaned from the press, a national echo, I would even say a national-scale festival… In short, €100,000 is peanuts. (Editor’s note: peanuts for non-English speakers).

“Should we go and get people from their homes? »

The budget evacuated, could then open another settlement of accounts. It is a question here of the “survey” demanded by Manon Pellicori. Which finally clarified her thought: “You understood very well… I am talking about a tendency, here, to be among oneself…”

Although alone on the front line so far, the ecologist has been able to count on the start of support from Brigitte Vaïsse. The elected PS, who for her part attended a few conferences, returned to the influx of the festival: “We often found the same people in the public…” Enough to make many elected officials of the majority jump, Brigitte Schneider saying “shocked. You have been criticizing the city’s cultural policy for years. I don’t understand this lawsuit that’s being made this evening, especially since you didn’t even go to see a round table. “It was open to everyone,” continues Jackie Helfgott. Conferences were held in schools, everything was free… Did people have to be picked up from their homes? This might seem a bit contrary to the notion of personal freedom…