As the Charbon Ardent festival prepares to open its doors on December 4, a controversy linked to the sale of halal meat on the stand of the Grand'Combe Social Center divides on social networks and fuels tensions.
That Laurence Baldit's second year in office was not easy. Marked, beyond successful projects such as the profound renovation of the Arboux district (read again ici), by controversies. Succeeding Patrick Malavieille in February 2023, she took over the reins of a town where expectations are high and criticisms recurrent. Sometimes for her positions, sometimes called into question for alleged illegitimacy – because she was designated within the elected majority without going through the ballot box – the elected official must navigate through troubled waters. And while 2026 looms on the horizon, with its procession of speculation about a possible candidacy, a question remains unanswered: will she dare to run for a mandate this time fully ratified by universal suffrage?
In the meantime, his daily political life leaves him no respite. The mayor finds herself under heavy fire from criticism from the deputy for the fifth district, Alexandre Allegret-Pilot, who never misses an opportunity to attack her on social networks (read again ici). They won't go to eat together on Christmas Eve, that's for sure, but even more insidious, an anonymous recently illustrated by malicious acts by delivering an object of an ambiguous nature directly to his office. And now a new controversy has ignited minds. According to certain accusations circulating on social networks, Laurence Baldit banned the sale of halal meat during the Charbon Ardent festival, the town's major event (read again ici). A decision which, if proven, could reignite tensions on sensitive issues. Faced with these accusations, what does Laurence Baldit respond to? Has such a ban really been decided?
A festival under fire… reviews
Scheduled from December 4 to 8, the Charbon Ardent festival attracts many visitors each year. But this 2024 edition is overshadowed by a call for boycott widely relayed on social networks. “Crying for living together, for tolerance, for secularism all the time, it is quite the opposite that our dear mayor applies”we can read in a publication that has gone viral, accusing Laurence Baldit of having banned halal meat on the stands run by the Municipal Social Center. A user adds: “Madame Baldit decided to ban halal meat under the guise of a more than dubious secularism. » Accusations which are based on a meeting held with residents involved in the organization of a food stand for the festival. According to the participants, the mayor insisted on the ban on offering menus of a religious nature, such as halal.
The position of the town hall
Contacted by us, Laurence Baldit denies any generalized ban: “The municipality cannot prohibit the sale of halal meat on private or association stands. What is at issue is the Municipal Social Center, which, as a public service, must respect the principle of neutrality. » She explains that the Social Center, financed by public partners such as CAF, is subject to a strict secularism charter. “If we do not respect these principles, we risk losing our approval and the funding that allows the Social Center to operate. It would be a disaster for the community. And honestly, I don't think, well, I hope no one wants to end up in that situation. »
“As mayor, I am elected to apply the fundamental principles of the Republic. I have no choice, I must enforce the law, even if some people don't like it. »
Laurence Baldit, mayor of La Grand'Combe
The mayor also specifies that the dishes offered by the Social Center during the festival must be validated by deliberation by the board of directors. The initial menu – sausages, merguez and fries – had been approved without any particular mention as to the origin of the meats. The publications calling for a boycott on social networks surprised the elected official, especially since their author would have attended the meeting. “At no time did she express any disagreement. Why start a controversy after the fact? » asks the mayor, who regrets an unnecessary escalation. According to Laurence Baldit, always: “We proposed replacing this menu with a seafood paella, a dish that complies with the regulatory framework, we will see. »
