Will cultural places suffer from a drop in subsidies, due to the war declared between the City and the Metropolis of Grenoble? This is what seems to emerge from a spat between Lucille Lheureux, deputy for Cultures of the City of Grenoble, and Pascal Clouaire, vice-president of the Metropolis in charge (among other things) of Culture. The irony is that the same Pascal Clouaire was among the heavyweights of the Grenoble majority since 2014… until his ouster in March 2023.
Pascal Clouaire, former member of the Grenoble majority and vice-president of the Métropole de Grenoble. © Agathe Bréchemier – Place Gre’net
The causes of the quarrel? On Friday December 13, 2024, the Grenoble Metropolis announced a reduction of 40,000 euros in subsidies dedicated to cultural actors. Among the “victims” of this drastic cut are the Street-Art Festival, the LGBT film festival Vues d’en face and the Grenoble Métropole Jazz Festival, indicates The Dauphiné liberated. A decision by the intercommunality which would be linked to the invalidation of a transfer of cultural skills from the City to the Metropolis.
This failed transfer of skills is linked to a debate… on water. In March 2024, the metropolitan majority in fact experienced one of its psychodramas of which it has the secret around the transfer of competence “ groundwater » from the City to the Metropolis.
The Uma group, mainly made up of Grenoble elected officials and appearing as an opposition within the majority, was strongly opposed to this transfer, which was nevertheless going to be adopted… only to be subsequently canceled by the Grenoble municipal council , in June. However, the transfer of the “groundwater” skill was part of a set of skills to be transferred, including culture.
