A story that is “tasty crousty”? The battle of the socialist mayor of Saint-Ouen, Karim Bouamrane, who continues to fight against the establishment of a fast-food chain, Master Poulet, just steps away from the town hall, has become highly political. Happy to add its two cents to the mix, La France insoumise takes advantage of the opportunity to mock its best rival in Île-de-France. A real barnyard atmosphere.
As a reminder, in previous episodes, the socialist mayor did not admit defeat even after some initial setbacks in court. He was indeed forced (by a decision from the administrative court of Montreuil) to remove the concrete blocks he had installed in front of the establishment, replacing them since last Friday with particularly pungent large flowerpots.
In response to these maneuvers, and to the legal arsenal wielded by the municipality, Master Poulet is multiplying banners (sometimes provocative) on the facade of its restaurant located just steps away from the town hall. Among them: “We are open (…) sorry to disappoint you, Karim.” A story that continues. And that takes a new twist this weekend.
LFI denounces an “administrative harassment”
Several LFI officials have indeed come out in support of the fast-food chain, facing their best political enemy in the Paris region. While Karim Bouamrane, fresh off a recent electoral battle against the insubordinate Bally Bagayoko in Seine-Saint-Denis, explains that he is fighting to “protect the quality of life of residents” and “the rules of common law,” the Mélenchonist troops respond by denouncing his logic of “gentrification.”
On Saturday, April 25th, the deputy for the district, Éric Coquerel, went to the site to denounce the “administrative harassment” led by the mayor of Saint-Ouen and to demand “the intervention of the prefect,” in favor of Master Poulet.
For him, “the repetition and accumulation of actions taken (…) indicate a continuous administrative pressure targeting a determined economic operator.” In a letter to the departmental prefect Julien Charles, the president of the Finance Commission in the Assembly denounces in particular “the multiplication of checks within a very short period of time,” “the successive installation of physical obstacles,” or “the renewal of hindrances after judicial intervention.”
Bouamrane’s “political battle”
This constitutes a “deviation of powers,” writes Éric Coquerel, stressing that the business has acted “completely within the law.” According to the deputy, Karim Bouamrane, a very critical opponent of LFI, wants to “promote businesses offering prices that are not affordable for everyone.”
For his part, the socialist mayor, who harbors national ambitions for 2027, believes that Master Poulet has not respected “the rules of common law in his town.” On social networks, he cites multiple grievances to justify his determined action: from “smells for residents living above” to “late deliveries, sometimes until 2 am.” This, he explains, is to allow for a better diversity of options for his constituents.
“I ensure that the commercial fabric is not reduced to an accumulation of identical establishments. Everyone is free to consume chicken as they wish, but our town already has a significant offering in this sector,” he wrote, while also promoting “quality nutrition from a young age,” against the proponents of junk food. A “political struggle,” he admits. Or another vision of the two (wing) lefts that are irreconcilable.
