Olympic flame: “I find it a shame that we let it pass”, regrets the elected representative of Béziers Nicolas Cossange

Nicolas Cossange : “On a laissé filer quelque chose”. Midi Libre – PIERRE SALIBA

This Monday, May 13 in the evening, at the end of a day of exceptional fervor on the occasion of the passage of the flame in Hérault, in Sète and Montpellier, the rsquo;Biterrois communist elected official Nicolas Cossange said, in the municipal council, his regret at not having seen Béziers take part in this jubilation.

"When I see the popular enthusiasm around the passing of the flame, I find it a shame that we let it pass’ quot;, says communist elected official Nicolas Cossange, at the heart of the Béziers municipal council which took place Monday evening, the same day the Olympic flame passed through the department.

In favor of a deliberation on the exhibition "Art at the crossroads of sport" (organized by "Les Écluses de l’art" from June 14 to July 5 at the Episcopal Palace, in connection with the Olympic Games), the municipal councilor of  rsquo;opposition indeed wanted to express its regret: "Béziers is the only major town in the department which will not have hosted the flame. Even if it means sacrificing summer decorations (Place Jean-Jaurès in particular, Editor's note), It would have made sense, especially in a sports town like ours, and where amateur sport is important. The last Olympics were 100 years ago! We let something slip", believes Nicolas Cossange.

A cost of 180 000 € shared between three communities

"It cost 180 000 € and it lasted half an hour in Millau", replied Mayor Robert Ménard who had already explained his position a few months ago. "And you didn't choose the time or the day…" To be exact about the cost of the crossing the flame for communities, let us recall that a Millau-Sète-Montpellier trio, on the proposal of Michaël Delafosse, the mayor of Montpellier and president of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, emerged between 2022 and 2023, and ;rsquo;the bill to be paid to the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (COJO) of Paris 2024 is finally shared. With the following distribution: 100,000,000 euros; for the mainland, 60,000,000 euros; for Sète Agglo and 20,000,000 euros; for Millau. To which must be added security and entertainment costs…

But Robert Ménard accepted his decision: "It’s a choice. I do not regret it. I wasn't ready to sacrifice all the summer decorations for half an hour of passing the Olympic flame."