Photo : Didier Rykner
Stained glass windows of Notre-Dame, the Louvre’s megalomaniac project, the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry, the law on “restitutions”… For several months now, cases concerning heritage and museums — initiated and pushed to absurd lengths by Emmanuel Macron — have been multiplying. This President of the Republic, for whom French culture does not exist, as he said before his election, will no doubt go down as one of the worst in this field in a very long time (and he had plenty of competition). These matters add to many others, older ones, such as the dismantling of the heritage code, particularly with the Elan law — whose damage we have had occasion to observe more than once — the delusional spread of wind turbines, and indifference to the fate of Paris’s heritage.
Paris is, moreover, at the heart of the deal that enabled the appointment of Rachida Dati as Minister of Culture, even if she herself denies it. We have written on several occasions that she has initiated a few interesting actions for the protection of heritage, the effects of which should begin to be truly felt in the autumn — if they are carried through to the end.
This will certainly not make up for the minister’s unwavering support for the President’s four disastrous projects: the Notre-Dame stained glass windows, the Louvre works, the Bayeux Tapestry, and the restitutions.
Despite everything, we still think that Rachida Dati may remain the least bad option for the Paris mayoralty, for two reasons.
She has shown, in some cases, an interest in heritage, notably in the protection of several Historic Monuments and the potential — which we hope is imminent — creation of a major remarkable heritage site in Paris.
She is also, whatever one may think of her, the only one capable of ridding us of Anne Hidalgo’s team, which still — and more than ever — poses a threat to Paris. Pragmatism is essential: this city will not withstand another six years under a municipal administration that has methodically set about ruining and vandalizing it.
To be certain that she would not face a Renaissance candidate in Paris — the surest way to secure the victory of Emmanuel Grégoire or, worse still, David Belliard — Rachida Dati has agreed to pledge allegiance, to the point of disgust, to Emmanuel Macron. It is now time to see her quickly regain some of her freedom, by leaving her ministerial post to someone else and devoting herself fully to saving Paris. It seems, decidedly, that a Minister of Culture can no longer remain in office for more than two years.