A look back at the significant events of 2024 in Seine-et-Marne.
Angry farmers
January 25Seine-et-Marne farmers, like all their colleagues in France, are mobilizing. The roundabouts of Melun, Fontainebleau and Provins are stormed. The anger, which had been brewing, bursts into broad daylight. Demonstrators and unions express their demands (income, environmental and European standards, price of diesel, inflation, etc.). Despite the announcements of Gabriel Attal, then Prime Minister, farmers threatened to block Paris. Some settle with their tractors on the A4, A5 and A6 motorways. Appeased for a time by government concessions, farmers' anger regained strength in November during negotiations on the free trade treaty with Mercosur member countries.
Vast personal training account fraud
April 2 and 3, police officers from the Organized and Specialized Crime Division (DCOS), linked to the interdepartmental service of the Seine-et-Marne judicial police (SIPJ 77), arrest 13 people accused of having embezzled more than 14 million euros to the detriment of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) as part of a personal training account (CPF) scam. The scammers, based in particular in Roissy-en-Brie, approached employees on social networks and asked them for their CPF identifiers, promising to give them part of the money dedicated to phantom training. Among the 13 suspects arrested, some will be tried next June.
Battle around Nonville oil drilling
On the 6th, Paris town hall denounces the project of two new oil drilling operations in Nonville, near Nemours, by the company Bridge Energies. She initiated summary proceedings before the Melun administrative court, requesting the annulment of the prefectural decree of January 30 validating the project. Joined by the Department of Seine-et-Marne and neighboring municipalities, Paris town hall highlights a serious environmental risk. The oil wells are, in fact, located near drinking water collection points supplying 180,000 residents of the Seine. If the summary procedure was rejected, Eau de Paris filed a new appeal in October, still before the administrative court of Melun. This must rule on the merits at the beginning of 2025.
Sting electrifies Fontainebleau Park
On June 25, the English star attracts 9,000 fans to the park of the Château de Fontainebleau for the Fblo festival. Canceled at the last minute in June 2023 due to unpredictable weather, the Sting concert took place in perfect conditions this year. The sold-out show by the former leader of the group “The Police” ideally launched the 44th edition of the Django Reinhardt festival organized two days later.
Legislative elections: the left rejects the RN
On July 7, 11 Seine-et-Marne deputies were elected following the early legislative elections caused by the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9. With six deputies elected under the banner of the New Popular Front (NFP) including Olivier Faure, the First Secretary of Socialist Paris, the left won a majority of constituencies. A historic result. As for the presidential majority, only ministers Frédéric Valletoux and Franck Riester retained their seats by benefiting from the Republican barrier. Jean-Louis Thiériot is the only Republican representative to be re-elected. Despite a clear breakthrough and five qualified candidates in the second round, the National Rally only managed to send two deputies to the Bourbon Palace: the youngest Julien Limongi (28 years old) and the outgoing Béatrice Roullaud.
A catastrophic harvest
Too much rain and not enough sun: the results of the harvests, announced in august, is catastrophic for Seine-et-Marne farmers. Yields are much lower than expected (-30% for winter barley and -50% for wheat) and volumes below average. Since May, farmers have been preparing for these poor results, but not to this extent. As in 2016, a year also marked by significant flooding and record rainfall, this disastrous harvest will cause financial difficulties for many producers.
The Aprov’Halles platform opens its doors
September 2the start of the school year coincides with the launch of Approv'Halles, a platform which supplies the canteens of 119 Seine-et-Marnais public colleges with fresh products. A unique system in France for which the Department of Seine-et-Marne and the Île-de-France Region have invested 48 million euros and created a local public company (SPL). But quickly, some establishments pointed out malfunctions, while parents of students complained about the quality of the meals served. The Department has promised to make improvements. The ambition to offer healthy food to students while promoting local agricultural production remains maintained.
132 municipalities under water
October 9 and 10, the Kirk depression sweeps across France. In Seine-et-Marne, the Grand Morin flood caused damage in 132 municipalities (houses and businesses flooded, roads blocked and school transport suspended). Although no victims were reported, the historic thresholds for the 2016 flood were exceeded. A few weeks later, the affected municipalities, located in the north-east of the department, were declared in a state of natural disaster. This procedure allows residents and traders to be supported more quickly. Two previous episodes of flooding, in August and September, had already affected several municipalities.
Morhad Amdouni: from the record to the trial
February 18 in Seville (Spain), Morhad Amdouni shattered by more than a minute his own French marathon record (2h03'47”) which he had established in 2022. But as is often the case with the athlete from Val d'Europe Montévrain Athlétisme (already implicated in 2019 in a case of alleged purchase of doping substances), this new record is the subject of debate. This did not prevent Amdouni from validating his ticket for the Paris Games, an appointment which he would ultimately miss due to a calf injury. But the worst was to come: in September, he was arrested by the police at his home in Serris following a complaint for rape and violence filed by his wife. He will appear before the Meaux criminal court on February 24.
Tragic accident on the RN 104
On March 10, a terrible tragedy occurs on national road 104 near Servon. A Mercedes SUV, in which three children and their parents are present, crashes into the pile of a bridge. The outcome was tragic: the three children (aged ten and five years and two months respectively) lost their lives. The mother is seriously injured, but her life prognosis is not in jeopardy. Only the father, who was driving the vehicle, was unhurt. Investigators favor the theory of falling asleep at the wheel. As of December 27, 69 people were killed on the roads of Seine-et-Marne. A figure that has been increasing for two years.
Pierre Palmade sent to prison
November 20th, At the end of a highly publicized trial, Pierre Palmade was sentenced by the Melun Criminal Court to five years in prison, including two years for “aggravated intentional injury”. On February 10, 2023, the comedian caused a serious accident on a road in Seine-et-Marne while under the influence of drugs. The apologies he presented to the victims during the hearing were not enough to save him from prison. Having not appealed, Pierre Palmade was incarcerated at the Bordeaux-Gradignan penitentiary center on December 9.
©MSM/Alexandre Sarkissian – Highly publicized, the trial of Pierre Palmade was held on November 20 at the Melun courthouse.
The remains of Ling-Diane found
December 16“The Republic of Seine-et-Marne” reveals information feared for 11 months: the bones found last May and July in the forest of Fontainebleau are indeed those of Ling-Diane Zhang. This 25-year-old medical student disappeared on January 16 near Fontainebleau. DNA analyzes unfortunately confirmed the disastrous news. The Fontainebleau gendarmerie company dismisses the criminal trail and only retains that of suicide. A hypothesis confirmed by the Fontainebleau public prosecutor's office which evokes a voluntary death by “medication”.
The Games set Seine-et-Marne on fire
July 20the Olympic flame crossed 12 municipalities, from Fontainebleau to Meaux via Melun. This was the prelude to the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26. This historic event was eagerly awaited by an entire department, the first in Île-de-France to have been labeled “Land of Games”. A little over a month later, August 27it will be the turn of the Paralympic flame to shine in Fontainebleau and Trilport. Seine-et-Marne took advantage of this national enthusiasm by recording the arrival of a million visitors. It is especially the north of the department, where the Olympic nautical stadium of Vaires-sur-Marne is located (official site of the canoe kayak, rowing, para-canoe and para-rowing events), which has benefited from this record influx. The Vaires basin was also designated a national training center by the French Rowing Federation at the end of September. As for medals, three athletes from Seine-et-Marne won a bronze medal: Enzo Lefort (team foil) at the Olympics, as well as Yohan Peter (team armchair fencing) and Margot Boulet (para rowing) at the Paralympics.
