Rarely has a speech generated such expectations. In the gardens of the Palais du Pharo and in front of almost all the local political and economic actors, Emmanuel Macron listed numerous promises or commitments in what he called his “Marseille en grand” plan. The speech given on September 2 gave only a few details on the application of the wishes of the Head of State, but it carried an envelope of financial aid. And hopes.
To ensure that this (good?) plan materializes, Emmanuel Macron undertook the same day to return to Marseille to make progress points. The President of the Republic indeed returned on October 16 on the occasion of the national congress of firefighters. A new passage was planned for the beginning of February, before being postponed several times. The war in Ukraine has also led Emmanuel Macron to cancel his first campaign meeting scheduled for Marseille on March 5. Where he should officially announce, he thought, his candidacy. He finally returns in the middle of the interval for his succession. As a reminder, the Head of State had already come to the second city of France for his first candidate meeting in 2016.
Since then, the tenant of the Elysée has regularly recalled his attachment to the city, with vacations a few meters from the cornice or football games with OM players. Until its Marseille plan in large therefore which will serve as a demonstrator or laboratory to illustrate its policy. But to show what? Overview of the progress of the main announcements of September.
For schools, construction starts planned for this year
It is one of the highlights of the presidential visit with a visit to a school in urgent need of renovation. In total, the City has identified 174 establishments to benefit from government financial assistance. A plan costing 1.2 billion euros for which the municipality wanted half to come from the state. The 2022 finance law provides for 254 million euros, and during his visit to Marseille at the end of December, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced an extension of 150 million euros. The finance law also provides for 650 million euros in loan guarantees.
The management of the renovations will be carried out via the public company of Marseille schools (SPEM) officially created at the beginning of February. All that remains is to appoint a general manager, but 17 construction starts are already planned for this year.
The City-Metropolis duel for transport
On the transport side, the other area where expectations are the strongest, the progress is there but does not quite match Emmanuel Macron’s speech. The Head of State implied that the billion euros -250 million euros in subsidies and the rest in repayable advances – which is dedicated to this subject should open up the northern districts. A goal written black on white in the amendment voted by the National Assembly to grant the promised credits.
Initially, only one high-level service bus and 1.6 kilometers of trams were dedicated to the northern districts. The situation gave rise to media skirmishes between the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolis, which has transport authority, and the City, which wanted to choose the routes and add more in the northern districts. Finally, the Métropole has set up a tram line to Belle-de-Mai with a possible extension to Le Merlan.
Institutional reform completed
Ending the six territorial councils was one of Emmanuel Macron’s conditions for paying transport aid. Deemed too heavy for the budget of the Metropolis, their end is scheduled for July 2022. It was recorded with the 3DS law adopted by the Assembly last December. This also rearranges the distribution of powers since the mayors recover the roads and public spaces among others.
In Marseille, Benoit Payan expressed his dissatisfaction regarding a new distribution which, according to him, does not go far enough. Like his opposition on transport with the Metropolis, the mayor of Marseille wants more skills to be under municipal responsibility. A political position that he regularly puts forward, as with the case of waste recently.
Launched entrepreneurship hubs
Supervising projects, finding funding and succeeding in being clearly identified, here is the list of the objectives of the crossroads of entrepreneurship wanted by Emmanuel Macron for which the State provides 15 million euros.
These structures have just been designated after a call for projects, they are well-known actors locally with the Epic, the Carburator, the Friche and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. An itinerant crossroads, entrusted to the SOS Group (created by local stage, Jean-Marc Borello), has also been set up. The objective is to support 4,000 young people this year. The State is also launching a young capital which makes it possible to grant aid of 3,000 euros to 1,000 young people.
The rest is moving slowly
Among Emmanuel Macron’s other major announcements, many are progressing slowly. Like the big studios of the Mediterranean which still have to find where to establish themselves and how the financing will be organised. On the port side, the ambition to make Marseille the bridgehead of the Rhône-Saône axis is today still in the study phase led by the current management of the GPMM.
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