Nazi flags and "ideological reinterpretation of history": the opposition's latest attack on the region's cultural subsidy
The staging of the show "Les Murmures de la Cité" (The Murmurs of the City) in Moulins, in the Allier region, has provoked outrage among regional opposition politicians, who have denounced the shocking use of Nazi symbols and are demanding accountability from the government.
From July 11th to 13th, the show "Les Murmures de la Cité" (The Murmurs of the City) was held at the National Center for Costume and Stage (CNCS) in Moulins, Allier. But as soon as it opened, a controversial sequence provoked outrage among regional elected officials from the Socialist, Ecologist, and Democratic group. As reported by our colleagues at L'Humanité , five Nazi flags were projected onto the building's facade. A " deeply disrespectful " and " irresponsible " staging, according to opposition officials, who are demanding a firm condemnation from the regional executive.
Already in June, the group chaired by Najat Vallaud-Belkacem had denounced a cultural project " in total rupture with republican values " and asked Fabrice Pannekoucke to withdraw the 20,000 euro subsidy granted by the Region for the holding of this show. In a letter addressed to the President of the Region on June 5, the opposition group emphasized that "if the project is presented as a local cultural initiative, it appears that it is in reality supported by the Common Good Fund, a private structure whose orientations are marked by commitments contrary to fundamental rights." Its founder, Pierre-Édouard Stérin , indeed openly claims traditionalist and identity ideas.
In total, €169,000 in public aid was reportedly mobilized for three performances, or nearly €80 per spectator. " Is this the 'best-managed region in France'? " the Socialists ask ironically in their press release.
Before continuing: " At a time when the extreme right thrives on the trivialization of history and the confusion of values, we denounce the fact that public funds have been granted to a show that contributes to the spectacular and dangerous staging of totalitarian ideology. "
" It is urgent that Mr. Fabrice Pannekoucke publicly and unambiguously condemn this spectacle (...) We also demand the immediate reimbursement of the regional subsidy granted to this project. Culture cannot be a tool for propaganda or historical confusion, " the socialists conclude.
Read also: The Greens criticize Laurent Wauquiez's cultural policy "in the service of the national novel"
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