The socialist mayor of Paris has changed her mind.
Newsdesk (07/06/2021 21:49, Gaudium Press) The day after the fire devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, promised a 50 million euro contribution from the city for the restoration of the Cathedral. Indeed, this Socialist mayor also proposed to the President of the Republic “a major international donor conference to be held at City Hall.”
In the name of… Tourism
Two years later, Anne Hidalgo changed her mind. She will no longer use the 50 million euros only to reconstruct the religious building.
Instead, the funds will be destined to improving the surroundings in a project “that aims to enhance the value of Notre Dame and better welcome visitors to the cathedral.”
On April 15, Anne Hidalgo’s project received approval. Now the goals are to facilitate access to the square for tourists, limit vehicle circulation, and revitalize the Île de la Cité, so much avoided by Parisians. In short, the project extends to all of the Cathedral’s surroundings.
However, this reallocation of the 50 million promised by the City of Paris to Notre Dame is not seen in a good light.
“We are surprised that the City of Paris is not participating in the restoration of one of its most emblematic monuments, while other regions in France and abroad, and that there are many, have donated to Notre-Dame de Paris,” said Brigitte Kluster. She is a representative and the President of the information mission monitoring the Cathedral’s restoration.
As a representative elected to the Paris Council, Kluster believes that the “50 million will not be earmarked as a donation, but as works that will go into the city’s general budget. Which is obviously not the same thing” She believes the city of Paris is tying hard but in no way it can be considered as a donation.
A Project planned in 2016
“It was always said that we would use [the 50 million] for the construction, restructuring and renovation of Notre-Dame; revitalizing the surroundings of Notre-Dame is part of the restoration of Notre-Dame,” pointed out Emmanuel Grégoire, during his hearing by the parliamentary mission on February 10, 2021. Grégoire is deputy mayor of Paris and responsible for urbanism.
However, already in December 2016, nearly three years before the fire struck the Cathedral, the city had drawn up a project for the revitalization of the surroundings of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Why are donations destined to reconstruct the Cathedral being repurposed toward city improvements?
With information from Famille chretienne
