In France, politics not peace trims 'green' Christmas trees
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[December 23, 2021]
By Layli Foroudi
PARIS (Reuters) - The town hall in the 12th
arrondissement of Paris is lit up for the festive season but the
traditional Christmas tree in the public square is absent. In its place
stands a tree-shaped sculpture made of recycled wood.
The municipality's choice is in line with a trend across France and
beyond to favour sustainability over tradition, and it has highlighted
political divides ahead of the presidential election in April next year.
"A felled tree is generally the product of a monoculture, and
monoculture is very dangerous for the soil [...] and a tree that is
chopped down is no longer present in nature to play its role in the
capture of C02," said Guy Tabacchi, deputy mayor of the 12th
arrondissement, which aims to eliminate felled Christmas trees from
public places by 2026.
That could be a challenge.
Traditionalists installed a potted conifer in front of the town hall,
which the local authorities removed and planted in a woodland on the
edge of the city.
"A good Christmas is to have a tree, lit up, with ribbons. This is not
the magic of Christmas," said a grandmother and resident of the 12th
arrondissement, who gave her name only as Annie.
The argument has become wrapped up with the issue of national identity
and has divided opinion along political lines.
"To be French is to have a Christmas tree. It is to eat foie gras. It is
to vote for Miss France and it is the Tour de France because that is
France," Valérie Pécresse, candidate for the Les Republicains party,
told a France 3 journalist during a TV debate.
In contrast, mayors with ecological sympathies, including in the eastern
city of Strasbourg, have banished foie gras from official events.
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A tree-shaped sculpture made of recycled wood depicting a
traditional Christmas tree, part of season decorations, is seen in
front of Paris 12th arrondissement town hall, France, December 21,
2021. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
Strasbourg municipal councillor Marc Hoffsess says hospitality can
be just as French without the pâté made from the liver of ducks or
geese fattened through force-feeding and judged by many as harmful
to animal wellbeing and the environment.
"Identity can change. Do we have a conservative message where we
cling to things from our history or should we carry a message that
reconciles humans with what is at stake concerning the survival of
our planet?" he said.
In the southwestern port city of Bordeaux, people who took exception
to the 11-metre (36.09 ft) glass tree the municipality erected
brought a traditional tree to the main square.
Didier Jeanjean, deputy mayor in charge of nature in Bordeaux, said
the debate was healthy.
"The Eiffel tower is today one of the most visited monuments in
France but at the time it was one of the most criticised," he said.
(Reporting by Layli Foroudi; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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