The Week
While Michel Barnier brought together his ministers on Monday September 23 for a “governmental breakfast”, Patrick Weiten, the president of the Department of Moselle, opened the quarterly meeting in Hayange, thus launching the start of homelessness, as close as possible to the inhabitants.
A third quarterly meeting of the year held with a view of an autumn-colored forest, in the same place where the De Wendel family lived. It’s sure that it’s a change from the traditional hemicycle of the Moselle departmental council. Without windows, more gloomy. This being inaccessible for a year due to work, the return of the departmental elected officials took place on the side of the agglomeration community of Val de Fensch and its large bay windows, in Hayange, Monday September 23.
Moselle-Nord, a territory that we know is dear to Patrick Weiten where he was welcomed by Michel Liebgott, president of the community, former general councilor, with a certain emotion. “I left you in 2002 and you come to me in 2024, it’s a little nod to history,” he noted before noting the coincidence which sets the quarterly meeting on the same day as the first council of ministers of the new government. “I would not go so far as to compare the Prime Minister to our president of Moselle,” smiles Michel Liebgott. Patrick Weiten nods in agreement.
The same chair
He does not compare the two men but we must still grant them one point in common and not the least: both are well aware of the functioning of local authorities, Michel Barnier having been one of the youngest general councilors before serve as department president. Patrick Weiten will return to this in his introductory speech, seeing there a reason for hope for better consideration of territories. “He surrounded himself with three ministers who have occupied or still occupy the chair of departmental council president,” he underlines.
Another reason for satisfaction, the government now has a minister for decentralization that Patrick Weiten was calling for. “For 20 years, Paris has been reducing our room for maneuver, transferring skills to us, increasing our expenses without worrying about our ability to assume them and without compensating them, and all this by reducing our fiscal autonomy or even now by completely eliminating it. . […] Decentralizing means giving the means to those who act close to the French, to respond to their concerns, their aspirations, their specificities. Decentralizing means transforming citizen anger into republican creativity through the daily action of local authorities and these foot soldiers of democracy who are local elected officials! »
Departmental reshuffle
Citizen anger which was felt at the polls. However, these legislative elections were not without consequences in the ranks of the Department, usually known for its peaceful debates. Rémy Dick’s “assumed” position in favor of the National Rally in his constituency led Patrick Weiten to withdraw his delegation to culture, leading the person concerned to resign from his vice-president.
This political return aims, among other things, to install his successor. But before that, the mayor of Florange intends to explain himself publicly. “Many have questioned my intentions […] This was not a provocation either at the local or departmental level but the result of a publicly communicated choice in a constituency and in particular circumstances. » Applause from the room follows his speech.
“This proves that the state of mind is rather good and that people do not judge me either,” he confided a little later, maintaining that he “always remains faithful to the majority. » From now on, Rémy Dick is preparing to pass the “torch of cultural life” to Armel Chabane, already in charge of sport and community life. Patrick Weiten maintains that between him and the mayor of Florange, relations remain “cordial” without discussing the issue. Lionel Fournier, representative of the left-wing opposition group, “welcomed the attitude” of Patrick Weiten during these legislative elections remaining “attached to this distinction of the republican arc”.
Rémy Dick left the office, the game of musical chairs took place with a reorganization of the delegations. Gaétan Benimeddourene, mayor of Château-Salins (LR) takes over as the 13th vice-presidency in charge of the fight against discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism, security and travelers. Taking advantage of the evolution of society, Patrick Weiten wanted to identify two new delegations: that of women’s rights which goes to Ginette Magras and that of rurality for David Suck.
