6/1/10– Heritage–France –The Conseil Constitutionnel has just censured article 116 (formerly article 52) of the 2010 Finance law which included a provision ceding the rights of historical monuments belonging to the government to local entities making the request (see news item of 28/11/09). The measure passed surreptitiously and the Court considers, correctly so, that this was a legislative add-on, that is, an article or amendment in no way related to the bill in which it was included [1]. Just recently, Frederic Mitterand responded in Le Nouvel Observateur to an article by Jerome Garcin in which he defended this sell-off of historical monuments when in fact the only honourable position for a Culture minister would have been to state his firm opposition.
Alas, this is a symbolic move only with no actual consequences. We fear this is a Pyrrhic victory as either the government or the parliament will no doubt present the amendment in a new law, as happened in the case of the “Avis conforme” [or approval] for the Architectes des Batiments de France in the ZPPPAUP [2]. Supporters of French heritage take heed.