Tahiti, November 7, 2024 – Antony Géros transmitted to the elected representatives of the assembly a proposed law of the Country to toughen the provisions on the governance of a mixed economy company. From now on, if this text is voted on, the general director of an SEM must be chosen “apart from the directors and shareholders of the company”. A barely disguised way of pushing the current CEO of ATN, Philippe Marie, towards the exit.
There risks being water in the gas again in the relations between the president of the country and that of the assembly. The 57 representatives of Tarahoi have just received a proposed law of the country signed by the hand of Antony Géros. So far so good since from the start of his mandate, Moetai Brotherson had encouraged the elected representatives of his majority to be a source of proposals in the assembly. These proposals still need to go in the right direction, and above all, in the same direction as the government. But in this specific case, it is quite the opposite.
Unlike the President of the Country who chose not to change the mode of governance of Air Tahiti Nui upon the departure of Michel Monvoisin, the tenant of the perch wants to reshuffle the cards by proposing to modify the law of the Country of January 11, 2022 relating to mixed economy companies created by Polynesia. There are eight in operation today, including Air Tahiti Nui. And it is she, or rather her CEO, who is clearly in Antony Géros’ crosshairs.
In his bill, he wishes to insert provisions into the law of January 11, 2022 “specifying that the general manager (and where applicable, the deputy general managers) must be chosen outside of the directors or shareholders of the company”. However, the CEO of ATN, Philippe Marie, also sits on the board of directors of the airline and therefore has this dual role. Which is not the case for his right-hand man, Mathieu Béchonnet, deputy general manager, but not a director of the company. A position he already occupied alongside Michel Monvoisin.
The last straw of the subsidy of 3.2 billion francs
And it is this tandem that was invited – not to say summoned – by Antony Géros on October 24 in committee. Because the balancing subsidy of 3.2 billion francs that the Country asked the assembly to vote on deserved an explanation for the boss of Tarahoi who, like many other elected officials, refused to “sign a blank check”. And above all, he wanted to know the “strategy” of the company to recover its financial situation.
But it was not Philippe Marie's answers that visibly convinced him. “80% of the interventions were made by Mathieu Béchonnet who was there to save the ATN soldier, and we could see that Philippe Marie did not master his subject”an elected official told us. This meeting was obviously the last straw for Antony Géros who, with this text, has tightened up the governance provisions of the SEMs. Last June, he had already paved the way during the vote on the modification of the law of January 11, 2022 relating to the standard statutes of mixed economy companies created by French Polynesia.
Three months to comply
This is how a first step was taken via an amendment from Tavini elected official Vincent Maono. Which introduced the possibility for the board of directors of an SEM to appoint a general manager or a deputy general manager outside of the directors and shareholders. Today he goes further by making this possibility an obligation.
The objective, he writes, being to “clearly dissociate the strategic aspect, which falls within the powers of the board of directors, from the operational aspect of management and implementation of the strategic objectives retained, entrusted to the general director”. What must be remembered is that, if this text is adopted, Philippe Marie will have a “three month period” to pack his bags. It will then be necessary to find a successor. One thing is certain, and still in the event that Géros' proposal manages to find a majority, it will not be able to be Hiro Arbelot either (the husband of MP Mereana Reid-Arbelot), since he sits on the Board of Directors of ATN too.
Related News :