“I consider that the mayor did not respect me”: Coralie Mantion without tongue in cheek after her withdrawal from the majority of the metropolis of Montpellier

Coralie Mantion, tête de liste EELV aux municipales de 2020, avait fait liste commune au second tour avec Michaël Delafosse. En votant contre le budget, elle s'est retiré de facto de la majorité alors qu'elle était 2e vice-présidente de la métropole. Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

His exit from the majority, the plastic factory, the PLUi… the future former second vice-president EELV of the Metropolis and municipal councilor of Montpellier takes stock of her four years in the executive, the disagreements and the policies she has pursued.

Where are you with your missions to the Métropole council ?

I am still vice-president of the Metropolis. My resignation will be put to a vote at the next council, a priori in July. On the other hand, I am no longer delegated to town planning and regional development. I was no longer in line with the policies of President Michaël Delafosse. The red line has been crossed. The commitments that had been made between the two rounds of the municipal elections were not respected. Particularly with regard to the plastic incinerator obviously. There was also the PLUi or the ZAC Cambacérès, Coteau de Malbosc or Sablassou. There has not been the change in software that should be made in relation to the ecological transition.

Are you disappointed ? Bitter ? Angry ?

I'm mad. Against Michaël Delafosse. I consider that he did not respect his partners and I consider that he did not respect me as an individual . In 2020, we created a team. We should have learned to work with each other. But there has been no inculturation of political ecology.

Yet things have been done: revegetation work, the car banned from the city…

These are small steps. However, the situation is such that we cannot be satisfied with small steps. Every year, we break temperature records. We must put in place real structuring policies: waste, developments… hellip; However, I realize that socialists remain in a productivist logic. If we want to rebalance the territory, Montpellier cannot always be more attractive. We cannot continue to concrete the green belt. This leads to a blocking of structuring policies.

You say the mayor disrespected you. How is this the case ?

I am thinking in particular of meetings without me, in parallel with others that I was able to do and where he gave directives contrary to those that I ;rsquo;had data. François Vasquez had the same problem. This is not acceptable.

Weren't you a little naive?

Yes, probably when we were elected, I thought I would do teamwork and transparency. I thought he would rely on elected environmentalists. But he used us to be elected. This is an observation.

What did you disagree with?

There was no questioning of public policies. Doubling the A9, for example, has not solved the traffic jam problem. However, he continues to support the Link, Com, and Déviation est projects…

When François Vasquez was dismissed, why didn't you resign ? Why weren't you more supportive of him ? We saw you, for example, alongside the mayor at the public meeting of the Cévennes.

The urban development of the Cévennes is a project that I carried out, modified. It’s a true example of the preservation of green spaces. This is how to prepare Montpellier for the challenges of climate change. I consider that I was in solidarity with François Vasquez. I expressed my disagreement to Michaël Delafosse. No one was elected to put the plastic incinerator in place. The mayor also refused to stop the ZAC du Coteau de Malbosc, de Cambacérès… This is a breach of contract. This is why I voted against the budget. But already at the time of the CSR factory, I suspected that I was going to leave, I was waiting for the last meeting concerning the PLUi. The timing with the resignation of François Vasquez is not, in my opinion, something significant.

Precisely, you wore the PLUi. Where is it today and will it see the light of day during this mandate?

The environmental study is underway. Prior consultation too. It’s a long process. The Metropole council should have it voted on in October. The 31 municipalities must then vote on it. The State, the Region, the partners will also give their opinion. Another vote in the Metropolis council will take place in 2025, and there it will be effective.

So, the PLUi is not threatened by your resignation ?

No, it has nothing to do with me. For me it is finished. We are no longer in the technical phase but in its writing.

You supported Michaël Delafosse for two thirds of his mandate. In 2026, you will therefore be accountable for his record with voters…

No, I will not be responsible for Michaël Delafosse's results. We had disagreements. I have expressed them on several occasions and I consider that we have limited the damage. I fought to save every last hectare from concrete. Should I have left before?? There are projects that we have moved forward. The Agriparc des Bouisses is close to my heart. This is an example of what Montpellier could be if it were managed by an environmentalist town hall. But a project like that, isolated, is not enough.

Where are the Greens today? It seems that there is a different current behind each member of EELV .

But it’s the same in all the other parties. In the PS, we go from the barbed left, to the hippie left and to the cassoulet left.

In 2020, if you had managed to come to an agreement, Montpellier would have been in the green wave and you would be mayor of the city today. You didn’not know how to unite…

I agree. There was a war of egos. We are under construction, we have learned our lesson. And we sat around the table with Jean-Louis Roumégas and Julia Mignacca, the local spokespersons. We need a project for 2026. Manu Reynaud ? He is excluded from EELV. No one is fooled by who they are. In 2026, he will leave with Michaël Delafosse.

As part of the Europeans, your national secretary, Marine Tondelier, is coming to Montpellier on Tuesday. Where and for what to do ?

She will be in Mauguio and perhaps at the ZAC du Coteau de Malbosc. She comes because she needs to support local issues and environmentalists.

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