Basque Country: June 21st Brouillartas are served!

Find our political echoes and Duverdier's drawing in the newspaper "Sud Ouest" Basque Country edition and on sudouest.fr

In a recent decree, the prefect of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region authorized drone surveillance of the rural area located in the municipalities of Ainhoa, Sare, and Urrugne. The authorities were particularly interested in the Ibardin, Lizuniaga, Lizarrieta, and Dancharia mountain passes. The operation was scheduled for June 18-20, with the aim of ensuring "the prevention of acts of terrorism." Could the area be particularly sensitive in this regard? Unless the true purpose of the operation is not the stated one. In 2023, the same resources were allocated to "fighting irregular crossings." Associations had challenged the relevant decree, and the case went all the way to the Council of State. The supreme court upheld the rulings of previous courts: the police cannot use drones to monitor the passage of migrants through these areas accessible by land. Contacted by "Sud Ouest", the prefecture had not responded at the time of writing.

François Bayrou, who arrived in Biarritz this Thursday for a half-hour speech on stage at the Municipal Casino for a geothermal energy conference, showed great concern for the French budget, dissecting the prices of gas and geothermal boilers. However, there was no calculation in euros of the cost of his more than two-hour business jet trip at taxpayer expense. And even fewer details on his carbon footprint for the day.

The handshake between Biarritz Mayor Maider Arosteguy and Prime Minister François Bayrou, as part of the famous "republican welcome" between local elected officials and members of the government, could not be immortalized by the local journalists invited to follow the Prime Minister's speech this Thursday. Only the TF1 crews had this privilege... Republican, really?

This Friday, two hours before the Biarritz City Council meeting, the mayor gathered the press to present the imminent test of an autonomous shower system for Biarritz's beaches. With this announcement, did Maider Arosteguy overrule her opponent Guillaume Barucq, who was planning a question on the thorny subject of showers during the elected officials' meeting? "I don't govern by looking at Guillaume Barucq's posts on social media," she assured. Moreover, "we've been talking about this subject for six months." The fact remains that the media event was hastily convened, in 24 hours... shower included.

BO financier Pierre-Edouard Stérin posted a classified ad on LinkedIn for a very specific job: general manager of Biarritz Olympique. This came as the club avoided relegation based on financial criteria, thanks in part to the contribution of the businessman and the City of Biarritz. A spontaneous application quickly appeared under the job offer, signed by... Jean-Baptiste Aldigé. The former BO boss, who left to manage the Nice club last summer, jokes: "I would like to apply! Biarritz City Hall will vouch for my skills and experience." A municipality with which the "candidate" ended up on bad terms, to put it mildly. If, by some extraordinary chance, Jean-Baptiste Aldigé doesn't get the job, a career change into "trolling" seems like the perfect fit.

A medium-altitude, long-endurance drone unveiled at the Paris Air Show is named Enbata, meaning "storm" in Basque. Will this name, chosen by the manufacturer, Jérémy Caussade, CEO of Aura Aero and a native of the Basque Country, steal the show from the founders of the eponymous Basque political weekly?