Besançon. At the municipal council, Aline Chassagne and Ludovic Fagaut do not play the same role.

On June 19, the last municipal council meeting before the summer break allowed the adoption of the first amending decision of the 2025 budget. A modification which notably includes two supports provided to the world of the Besançon circus , one to Passe Muraille located in the Orchamps district, and the other for Pagnozoo, currently located in Près-de-Vaux. The opportunity for Aline Chassagne, deputy for culture, to welcome "the coherence that there is with these projects, both urban and social, to permanently inscribe in our city, this link with the world of the circus."

The Communist elected official will not be content to praise the merits of her community and will use her speech to criticize the Doubs Department. "Not everything is consistent in the world of culture. We observe several inconsistencies, particularly in our region. There is one major inconsistency that has surprised many: the desire of the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans to offer a program of contemporary music concerts, which has arrived somewhat abruptly. This is a great surprise; there are Contemporary Music Stages (Smac), which respond to very precise specifications." Around ten concerts in this genre are thus planned between now and the end of the year in the venue, designed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. "What is even more surprising is that we are in a context of reduction of a certain number of cultural budgets, we see it particularly in the policies of the Department. The network of our territory, everything that has been built over decades, is in difficulty. La Saline is putting public money where state policies set precise specifications. Who is funding this project? Knowing that it was done without consultation. This project endangers certain structures. Is this the Department's cultural policy? Giving the entire budget to some structures and scattering it on others?

As is often the case when the majority attacks the departmental community, Ludovic Fagaut (LR), opposition municipal councilor and vice-president of the Department in charge of social integration, has stepped up to the plate. "Ms. Chassagne , you should put your energy into criticizing others, in the implementation of public policies for the City of Besançon, and worry about the mission entrusted to you. You are stating the obvious, telling lies at every municipal council meeting. Since when have you legitimized criticism of a public cultural institution? You will never hear an elected official from the departmental majority criticize in a departmental assembly what the City of Besançon is doing. Never. The Department has enshrined its support for cultural organizations. Just because you repeat something stupid 200 times doesn't make it true."

These remarks were far from appreciated by Anne Vignot , mayor of Besançon: "How can I speak to my deputy? That's not up to the standard of an elected representative of the Republic. Mr. Fagaut, there's always a moment when you slip up." That's for the sake of it. In substance, the mayor regrets "the competition between public facilities. It's simply an aberration."

Aline Chassagne regrets the lack of "in-depth debates," and assures that she "wants to work with her counterpart in the Department. Things change, people can change their minds, but we discuss it and see how it can be most useful to the population. We think together, but in this case, things were done in a rushed manner and should have been more coordinated at different levels."

To reconcile Aline Chassagne and Ludovic Fagaut, the City of Besançon and the Department, we may have to rely on André Manoukian , a singer of love and the beauty of the world, who will be on stage at the Saline Royale on October 18. But will they agree to go there together?