Overview
- Le Barcarès city hall published a call for tenders authorizing up to €80,000 (ex‑VAT) of champagne for year‑end festivities.
- Mayor Alain Ferrand says the amount is a spending ceiling and that actual purchases could be closer to €20,000–€30,000 based on demand.
- He contends bottles would be included in seniors’ Christmas parcels, with the rest resold to companies using reception spaces at the town’s Christmas village to generate revenue.
- Opposition figures call the plan indecent given a reported €29 million municipal debt and argue funds should bolster public services, while residents express mixed views.
- The tender remains posted as national media coverage grows and Ferrand’s pending cases over alleged illegal interest-taking and extortion intensify scrutiny.