New controversy for the executive: on a visit to Mayotte, Minister Élisabeth Borne came up against criticism from teachers over the lack of aid after Cyclone Chido. His attitude deemed “contemptuous” provokes a reaction…
The trip of the Minister of Education Élisabeth Borne to Mayotte, two weeks after the devastating passage of Cyclone Chido, is not going as planned. While visiting a school in Kawéni this Monday with Prime Minister François Bayrou, the former head of government was attacked by two disgruntled volunteer teachers. A much commented sequence which tarnishes this ministerial trip to a battered island.
Tense exchange with teachers in Mayotte
The scene, captured by BFMTV cameras, takes place during a visit by Élisabeth Borne to a school in Kawéni, a town in the northeast of Mayotte particularly affected by Cyclone Chido in mid-December. Questioned by two volunteer professors about the lack of state aid on the ground, particularly in the island's slums, the minister tried to defend the government's action:
The reality is that there were distributions, as you did […] They exist and perhaps people are not well informed.
Élisabeth Borne, Minister of National Education
A response which did not convince his interlocutors. One of them responded by pointing out the difficulty for slum dwellers in getting to food and water distribution points, several kilometers away. “ It's 10 kilometers in the middle of the wilderness, without water or food, it's impossible, infeasible“, hammered the teacher. Élisabeth Borne then ended the exchange by turning on her heel, releasing a simple “ok” which angered the two teachers.
Borne criticized for his “contempt”
The images of this dry exchange sparked indignation on social networks, with many Internet users and political leaders castigating the attitude deemed “contemptuous” of the minister. The first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure denounced unacceptable behavior:
A minister cannot turn on her heel by disregarding the testimony of teachers who warn about the health situation.
Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party
An anger shared by Ian Brossat, spokesperson for the PCF, who castigated on Twitter the “empathy of a dead fish” of the former Prime Minister. On the right too, voices were raised like LR deputy Aurélien Pradié for whom “this contempt is not a detail”.
The heavy toll of Cyclone Chido
Élisabeth Borne is making this two-day trip to Mayotte alongside François Bayrou and several ministers to assess the situation following the passage of Cyclone Chido at the end of December. This tropical storm of unprecedented intensity caused at least 4 dead and dozens injuredand left behind a landscape of desolation.
More than 60% of homes of the archipelago suffered damage, with tens of thousands of people left homeless. Public infrastructure (schools, hospitals, roads, etc.) have also been hit hard, while access to water and electricity remains very disturbed in many municipalities.
The government's reconstruction plan
Faced with the extent of the damage, the government unveiled this Monday an emergency plan called “Mayotte Debout” and equipped withan envelope of 150 million euros. François Bayrou promised an “exceptional mobilization” of the State with the objective of “building back better and faster”:
The State will help Mayotte recover and rebuild itself, with a massive effort that will be deployed over time.
François Bayrou, Prime Minister
According to Matignon, part of the emergency funds will be released in the coming weeks to undertake priority projects: repair of water and electricity networksreconstruction of schools and precarious housing, repair of roads… A “long-term effort” was promised, with reconstruction which could take “months, even years” according to François Bayrou.
The social crisis adds to the climate crisis
But beyond the material damage, Cyclone Chido also highlighted the great precariousness of part of the Mahorese population, particularly in the island's numerous shanty towns. Very dense areas where people pile up thousands of Comorian migrantsoften in an irregular situation, in deplorable health and safety conditions.
A reality that public authorities are struggling to tackle head on, despite repeated warnings from associations. With 84% of the population living below the poverty line, endemic unemployment and failing public services, Mayotte has a number of difficulties. Serious social issues that the passage of the cyclone has further aggravated.
By going there, François Bayrou and his ministers hope to demonstrate the “total commitment” of the executive alongside the Mahorais. But the controversies that punctuate this trip recall the distrust of part of the population towards public authorities considered too absent. The reconstruction of Mayotte promises to be long and perilous for the government, on an island marked by repeated crises.
