2023-04-24 15:41:18
Socialist Senator Claude Raynal confirms the revelations of Marianne, France 2 and Mediapart. The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Claude Raynal proposed this Monday a commission of inquiry on the “Marianne Fund”: he underlines the “questions” posed by the choice of the two associations which received the largest subsidies.
“I will propose to the Finance Committee next week to transform itself into a commission of inquiry to conduct a number of hearings on the management of this fund and draw some recommendations for the future”, announced the senator. socialist during a press conference, where he presented the first documents communicated at his request by the administration.
The “Marianne Fund”, a project to promote the “values of the Republic” launched in April 2021 by Marlène Schiappa when she was Minister Delegate for Citizenship after the assassination of Samuel Paty, has been controversial since the revelations of the weekly Marianne , France 2 and Mediapart on the use of subsidies allocated to two associations.
This fund “carries (…) a double requirement: that of delivering the republican fight on the Internet (…) and delivering it in transparency and probity”, underlines the senator, who made requests for additional information from the ‘administration.
While reports have already been sent to the national financial prosecutor’s office, Claude Raynal however warned that “as soon as the justice system seizes and initiates proceedings (on the subject), the commission of inquiry cannot be held”, for legal reasons.
Thousands of euros for the writer Mohamed Sifaoui
Concerning 15 associations out of the 17 selected, which represent two thirds of the financing of this fund of 2.5 million euros, Claude Raynal estimated that “at this stage, nothing was likely to worry us” in the documents received. On the other hand, “the two most financially heavy files raise questions”, he confirmed.
The main beneficiary, to the tune of 355,000 euros, is the Union of Physical Education and Military Preparation Societies (USEPPM), whose “object has no obvious link with the objectives of the fund”, he said. points out.
According Marianne’s joint investigation and of France 2this money would have made it possible to pay up to 120,000 euros two former leaders of the USEPPM, including Mohamed Sifaoui, author of books on political Islam and terrorism.
On April 18, the writer justified himself on BFMTV. “I received 43,000 euros net taxable over twelve months, chargeable to the Marianne Fund,” he said. I didn’t get reimbursed for a single coffee, a single meal, including for appointments that I had within the framework of my missions. He explains that he is considered to be the “leader of the project” and “editorial adviser” within the USEPPM.
An “extremely fast” selection
The second beneficiary of the problematic fund for the senator is the association Reconstruire le commun, created shortly before the call for projects and which received an amount of 330,000 euros. Mediapart revealed that several left-wing figures, including the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, had been denigrated in certain content.
“Why did the selection committee choose two associations, one nascent, the other having no expertise in the field for the most significant funding? asked Claude Raynal, who also wonders “what are the respective roles of the interministerial committee and the minister’s office in these choices”.
Entrusted to the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization (CIPDR), the selection procedure for the subsidized associations was extremely fast, and carried out by a “slightly endogenous jury” underlined the senator, with three members of the cabinet of the Minister and three members of the CIPDR.
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