Robert Ménard's travel expenses in Paris: the “Citizen Transparency” association will leave it there

Almost every week, the City of Béziers promotes the mayor's interventions in the national media on its networks. ML screenshot

Presque toutes les semaines, la Ville de Béziers assure la promotion des interventions du maire dans les médias nationaux sur ses réseaux. Capture d'écran ML

The association Transparence citoyenne, which had asked Robert Ménard for explanations regarding the 28,000 euros in expenses related to his travel to Paris over 4 years, between 2020 and 2023, announced that it was satisfied with the justifications provided. It will not report the matter to the courts.

“We are satisfied with the explanations given. We have verified all the justifications provided by the Béziers town hall when they were verifiable”, says Guillaume Leroy, the president of the association “Citizen Transparency”.

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At the beginning of this year, the young association created in spring 2023 by three lawyers, for more “integrity of elected officials”, had in fact contacted the town hall of Béziers by letter after having gone through some 520 notes (catering, transport and representation expenses) linked to the numerous trips of the mayor of Béziers to the capital. “I requested the full notes for all mayors of municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants for the 2020-2024 financial year”, the president explained.

Concretely, the association asked Robert Ménard for additional information that would answer this question: “How do these trips fit into your municipal responsibilities?”

“A large majority of these meetings are verifiable”

The latter immediately reacted and provided information and documents concerning the €28,000 in expenses covered by the Béziers municipality over 4 years, for a presence of some 200 days per year in Paris. In many cases, the Béziers chief magistrate indicates that he travelled for appointments related to the administration of his city. “A large majority of these appointments are verifiable. We have nothing to complain about. And sometimes, for example, there is an appointment with a member of a minister's office, that is not verifiable…”

“In 2024, there are no plane tickets covered by the town hall, with the exception of one which corresponds to a trip to the Agricultural Show”, notes Guillaume Leroy. The majority of the expenses are concentrated between 2020 and 2023. Clearly, when the mayor travels only for a media outlet, this does not generate costs for the community, he analyzes a posteriori. Considering that there is no element that could constitute an offense, he will therefore not make any report to the courts. “The case is closed.”

“For me, it's important”, reacts Robert Ménard. “We responded point by point, we sent 40 pages of documents, we gave the dates. There is no more discussion possible.”

Tensions

On the form, the method of the association “Transparency citoyenne” greatly irritated Robert Ménard since the latter communicated its approach to the media before receiving the response from the Béziers town hall, to the detriment of a fundamental contradiction. “It wasn't very elegant, so I apologized for it”, Guillaume Leroy emphasizes. “However, we have the right to take this type of action. And when we ask questions, it doesn't mean we're accusing.”

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