Marianne Fund: two associations implicated denounce “untruths” before the Senate commission

2023-06-01 01:21:05

“Many untruths have been told in the press,” vehemently affirmed Cyril Karunagaran, president of the USEPPM (the Union of Physical Education and Preparation for Military Service Societies). This association and that of Rebuild the common were convened on Wednesday by the Senate inquiry committeelaunched in an attempt to shed light on the use of the Marianne Fund.

The latter was created on April 20, 2021 by Marlene Schiappathen Minister Delegate for Citizenship, with the aim of fighting against separatism after the assassination of Professor Samuel Paty. Initially endowed with 2.5 million euros, it aimed to finance associations carrying speeches promoting the values ​​of the Republic to bring, in particular on social networks, the contradiction to radical Islam.

But, at the end of March and beginning of April, several media questioned these two associations. among the 17 laureates, in particular on the low level of production given the public sums received (respectively 355,000 euros and 330,000). It was also revealed that Rebuilding the Commons had denigrated several leftist figures. The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) opened judicial information on the use of the fund.

The USEPPM defends a “qualitative” assessment

According to Cyril Karunagaran of the USEPPM, “the quality of our production was rather well received by the CIPDR”, the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization, the structure of the Ministry of the Interior which administratively manages this fund. . While senators ask him how he could think of being able to move, before the Marianne Fund, from a structure with a small budget (50,000 euros annually) and “five members”, to a project at 355,000 euros, he pleads to several times his “inexperience in the field of public subsidies”.

He then recognizes “a first error”: having “requested this subsidy on this sensitive subject”. Then explains how, starting from a “blank sheet”, he had to “reduce the airfoil” on the ambitions of the project. But that despite everything, “the qualitative assessment has been achieved”. Cyril Karunagaran confirms in passing that it was indeed the firm of Marlène Schiappa who contacted him to suggest that he submit a grant application file to the CIPDR in the spring of 2021.

Mohamed Sifaoui, the media director of operations of the USEPPM, also summoned on Wednesday, was “unavailable” for “health reasons”, according to the Senate commission. His hearing will be rescheduled at a later date. In April he had denied any “embezzlement” and said he had “nothing to be ashamed of”.

” I regret nothing “

Ahlam Menouni, president of Rebuilding the common also denounced a “media disinformation campaign”. The senators took the time to watch excerpts from videos produced by his association. In a program – which Ahlam Menouni herself describes as “infotainment” – we can hear, for example, a person making a pun denigrating the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo.

“It’s hard to see the peaceful speech and the Republican speech,” retorts the PS president of the Finance Committee, Claude Raynal. The CIPDR “has never forbidden us to make political content”, assumes Ahlam Menouni. However, on May 16, Christian Gravelsecretary general of the CIPDR, also affirmed under oath before this commission that this association had produced “numerous contents of a political nature”, in particular during the presidential election campaign, despite several reframings.

“Did we talk about politics as a city affair? Yes and we assume it perfectly. (…) Have we broadcast partisan posts? Absolutely not,” assures Ahlam Menouni. “We were selected on a project, which had an editorial line which was intended to react to current events and make generalist political entertainment”, she explains. “I don’t regret anything,” she said.