LBarcarès town hall does not do things by halves. The seaside resort in the Pyrénées-Orientales plans to ring in its end-of-year festivities with flowing champagne. A call for tenders was actually launched on October 30 to order champagne worth 80,000 euros (excluding VAT), or more than 3,000 bottles priced at 25 euros each, Ici Roussillon reported on November 7. To decide which are the candidates, samples must be sent to city hall where judges will classify them based on price, taste, logistics and delivery time. The aesthetics of the bottle will also be considered.
Elected opposition officials condemned “obscene” spending in the current economic climate. When asked by local media, Virginie Brodin protested: “For me, this has never happened. I look at what has been purchased in 2024. The city has ordered 15,000 euros worth of sparkling white wine, but there is no tender dedicated to champagne yet.”
Champagne to “foster a good life together”
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Barcarès, Alain Ferrand (former UMP), was responsible for the call for tenders. “It’s not because there is a national crisis that we have to cry about every day. The role of the mayor is also to foster a good life together,” he said on France 3 Occitanie, Monday, November 10. He also explained that the controversial amount was actually just a “ceiling”. “We might only buy 20 or 30,000 euros, depending on the needs,” he believes.
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He further explained that these bottles of champagne would be included in Christmas packages distributed to the elderly, sick and people in isolation. The rest will be sold back to companies who will come to spend their year-end holidays in the Christmas village. Alain Ferrand justified this expenditure with a “social aspect” and an “economic approach”.
As a reminder, the mayor of Barcarès was suspected by the court of taking illegal interests in connection with the organization of the Christmas Village. He was also charged with extortion from tourism professionals and traders. Two cases in which he is still considered innocent.
