The Armenian leader of Europe’s political capital, Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghyan, has disappointed not only the Armenian community of France but also the country’s political landscape. On 22 March, the Strasbourg city council decided in a first vote to allocate 2.5 million euros from its budget to the Turkish Islamic association “Milli Görüş,” which is subordinate to Erdogan, for the purpose of building Europe’s largest mosque in Strasbourg.
France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has accused the Armenian mayor of supporting an association that, this January, refused to sign the charter developed by the French government aimed at countering the activities of Islamist extremists. He said that the French will understand that no faith can be sponsored on French territory. Moreover, that pro-Turkish organization, by not signing the charter, does not uphold the values adopted by France.
Gérald Darmanin also called on the prefect of Bas-Rhin to take the matter to court to clarify the legality of this decision by the Strasbourg city hall. In turn, Prefect Chevallier accused Jeanne Barseghyan of conveying incorrect information to the President of France.
“Madam Mayor, you were not correct in stating that the prefect had not expressed his concern regarding the financing of the mosque. I personally told you about this several times. My appeal is already before the administrative court.”
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