“She’s an incredible woman. She knows all the studies, she does phenomenal work. She’s been there from the beginning,” says a colleague from the Stop THT 40 collective about Marie Darzacq.
A retired lawyer, the 64-year-old from Capbreton puts her skills at the service of the cause she defends. “Marie is able to read the documents. She has an enormous quality, she knows how to translate into very simple language for all of us, what is happening behind the scenes,” continues her partner, who prefers to remain anonymous.
“She carries this fight with dignity”
The Stop THT 40 collective has “almost” become “full time” for its president Marie Darzacq, who has been involved in various legal actions to oppose the route of the electricity interconnection project between France and Spain . “Indeed, it takes a lot of time, but we are fortunate to be able to work well and enlighten the lawyers” to “move the case forward more quickly,” says the person concerned, who wishes to emphasize out of humility: “We are numerous in the association, everyone works according to their abilities.”
” Trust “
His commitment dates from the beginnings of the project’s media coverage. “When RTE (Electricity Transmission Network) informed the population, a public meeting was organized in 2021. I went there because it seemed very curious to me, I didn’t know what they wanted to do. A land bypass in a region like ours? Does this mean destruction? I also had the unpleasant surprise of seeing that it was passing at the end of my garden. It also inevitably motivates,” indicates Marie Darzacq, whose fight goes beyond her personal case. For future generations “We can’t let anything happen,” she said.
Present at the last demonstration of the collective, on Sunday May 19 in Capbreton, Pierre Pécastaings, mayor of Seignosse, describes Marie Darzacq as “a committed person with whom we were able to establish a constructive dialogue. I didn’t know her before. Today, we are able to work together coherently and peacefully, with trust. That’s the whole point of the process. She carries this fight with dignity,” adds the elected official whose town is associated with legal appeals.
“In this case, five summary suspensions (emergency procedures) were rejected,” summarizes Marie Darzacq, who has not said her last word. There are still procedures on the merits. And she “believes” in it.
A visible movement
With its various banners of demands in Capbreton and the surrounding area, the Stop THT 40 collective is a particularly visible movement, also widely followed on social networks, with more than 1.6 million subscribers on Facebook.
However, the crowds during the mobilizations are less marked. Around a hundred people were present on Sunday May 19 at the event which was attended by big names in surfing including Joan Duru, qualified for the 2024 Olympics. “I hope things will move more. It’s horrible what’s happening. I don’t really understand how people don’t realize it,” regretted the Landes surfer.
Nathalie Guironnet
Maud Le Car (right) and other big names in surfing took part in the collective’s demonstration, Sunday May 19, 2024.
