Montpellier (France) (AFP) – He had refused to marry an Algerian man under obligation to leave the territory to a French woman living in Béziers: the trial of far-right mayor of Béziers Robert Ménard opened Wednesday in Montpellier.
Published on: 09/30/2026 - 2:02 p.m.
The media representative risks a lot, since he faces up to five years in prison, a fine of 75,000 euros as well as a penalty of ineligibility.
He arrived at the court shortly after 1:00 p.m. in the pouring rain in the company of former Minister of the Interior and LR presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, whom he had called as a witness, and surrounded by around fifty elected officials wearing their tricolor scarves.
Their arrival triggered some stampedes with demonstrators hostile to the mayor of Béziers, whose supporters sang a Marseillaise while the others chanted "Ménard delinquent, Retailleau collabo" or "everyone hates fascists".
The police prevented the opponents from accessing the courthouse.
Mr. Ménard is being prosecuted for having refused on July 7, 2023 to celebrate the marriage of Eva M., a French citizen, and Mustapha B., an Algerian in an irregular situation, explaining that he suspected a “white marriage”. A few days later, Mustapha B. was deported to Algeria, where the couple finally got married this summer, even though they live separately, the wife residing in France with her children.
The affair had sparked controversy at the highest level, since even Emmanuel Macron had described, in 2025, the situation of mayors having to marry people in an irregular situation as "ubiquitous".
Mr. Ménard had also hoped that the President of the Republic would also be able to testify at the trial, which will not be the case.
The mayor of Béziers had also summoned the president of the Association of Mayors of France David Lisnard, but bad weather prevented his arrival according to Mr. Ménard, Hérault being classified on Thursday under red rain flood vigilance.
Summoned to the Montpellier court for the first time in February 2025, Robert Ménard refused the “guilty plea” offered to him, leading to the case being referred to criminal court.
A bill aimed at banning marriages for people in an irregular situation in France is currently in the hands of the Assembly's Law Commission.
Before the trial, the couple's lawyer, Me Vanessa Edberg, told AFP that she was "very worried" about the tense climate surrounding this affair, reporting "threats".
If the Association of Mayors of France is in favor of the text, the mayors of the National Association of Welcoming Cities and Territories (Anvita) have deemed it “discriminatory”.
© 2026 AFP
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