LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse: elected officials react strongly
Alain Rousset, president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, supports the GPSO. Credit: MB
After Pierre Hurmic’s opposition to the LGV project between Bordeaux and Toulouse, reactions are multiplying in the metropolitan political sphere, but also in Occitania.
We had to expect an avalanche of reactions from the political class, after the recent statements of the mayor of Bordeaux on the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse. On October 28, Pierre Hurmic launched an appeal to oppose the Grand Projet du Sud-Ouest (GPSO), explaining that there is “Projects of fast trains other than the GPSO more realistic, much less expensive”. The ecologist council criticized the research “Whatever the cost” saving time, arguing that “A single minute saved with the GPSO has a cost of around 166 million euros”.
Less than 48 hours later, the opposition municipal councilor Thomas Cazenave (Renouveau Bordeaux group, LREM), co-signed a forum supporting the LGV project. “Today, Pierre Hurmic is opposed to the creation of these two high-speed lines [ndlr, Bordeaux-Toulouse et Bordeaux-Dax] whereas the city should support this file carried by our region. […] This new opposition to a major project for our territory is part of a response to which we cannot resolve. “ Opinion shared by Nicolas Florian, former mayor of Port de la lune and leader of the opposition group Bordeaux Ensemble. In a letter addressed to the Bordeaux city councilor, he asks that a debate be registered on the railway installations of south-Bordeaux, to the order of the next City Council, on November 9. “It seems to me necessary that each municipality be able to debate in its democratic forum, namely the City Council, such a structuring question. ”
France Insoumise, through the voice of its Girondin deputy Loïc Prud’Homme, supports the mayor of Bordeaux. In a statement, he said that LFI “Welcomes the initiative of Pierre Hurmic and the reinforcement thus authorized by the signatories of the” Alternative LGV “petition to all the associations and citizens who are leading the fight and share the analysis and request for the requalification of lines existing “.
From rififi to the Metropolis?
On the scale of Bordeaux Métropole, the atmosphere is no better after the statements of Pierre Hurmic, also first vice-president of the community. Alain Anziani, PS president of Bordeaux Métropole and support for the LGV project, declares to France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine that “Environmentalists don’t want a plane. Now they don’t want a train. What do they want? Of the car ? Is this the dream of an environmentalist? More cars and freight on trucks rather than trains? ”
A disturbance in the PS-EELV majority raised by Thomas Cazenave, also elected metropolitan. “It is essential that Bordeaux and its metropolis take their full part in this project and without dissonance for many reasons”, he says. The next metropolitan council will be held on November 26 and promises lively debates. “You will have the opportunity to express, in a political forum, your deep differences with President Anziani”, declares Nicolas Florian in his letter to Pierre Hurmic. As mentioned by Sud-Ouest, during this plenary session, the metropolitan elected officials vote on a deliberation on the financing of the GPSO, and membership in a local public establishment to finance the site.
⚠️ The front coalition between EELV and the Socialists is torn apart on the most structuring subjects.
We are in an ubiquitous situation where today it is the minority of @BxMetro which advances all subjects related to the development of our territory! https://t.co/Oedp37qHtV– Thomas Cazenave (@T_Cazenave) 28 October 2021
New Aquitaine and Occitania react
Alain Rousset, PS president of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, also reacted to the statements of Pierre Hurmic. “It hurts me coming from the mayor of Bordeaux”, he told France 3. “This is not a time saving of a quarter of an hour but of an hour, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, and 55 minutes with Bayonne”, he blurted out in response to the arguments of the councilor EE-LV.
In Occitania, anger is also roaring. Carole Delga, President of the Region, said at the microphone of France Bleu Occitanie to stand up “Against petty selfishness, because it’s easy, when you’re mayor of Bordeaux, when you’re two hours from Paris with the TGV, to explain to others that they don’t need to be close to Paris “. It thus recalls, like others, the participation of the Occitanie Region in the financing – to the tune of 300 million euros – of the Tours-Bordeaux line. This financial support was part of the high-speed link project between the pink city and the capital. “I speak on behalf of the 60% of French people who are more than 4 hours by train from Paris: there is an injustice and an unacceptable territorial inequality”, she wrote in a tweet.