Overview
- Mayor Robert Ménard inaugurated a nativity scene in the Béziers city-hall courtyard on November 29, the eleventh annual installation.
- The Ligue des droits de l’Homme organized a street demonstration opposing the display, arguing it breaches the separation of church and state.
- The Conseil d’État ruled in early 2025 that Ménard may not install a crèche each year in the mairie, following earlier limits set by the Montpellier administrative court in 2017.
- Ménard defends the installation as a unifying local tradition, citing a guestbook with 20,000 to 25,000 signatures and denying any proselytizing intent.
- National reaction grew after the protest, with minister Aurore Bergé warning that such tensions point to a “certain form of war of religions,” while other cases like Beaucaire’s €120,000 fine underscore legal risks for municipalities.