Elected in 2021 under the Europe Écologie-Les Verts banner, Katia Bourdin and Stéphane Trifiletti are the only two Green regional councilors in Charente-Maritime. In the Region, they sit in the Green, Solidarity, and Citizen group. The duo held a press conference this week in Rochefort, as a mid-term review.
“Eco-Social Greenwashing”
And what they immediately highlight are “the contradictions of a Region that behaves like an order-giver and has distanced itself from everyday concerns.” Stéphane Trifiletti and Katia Bourdin don’t mince their words: “contradictory decisions,” “constant lobbying,” “paradoxical policy,” “eco-social greenwashing.” Yet since 2019, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region has launched its Néo Terra roadmap for an environmental and social transition. “Even the equality and diversity labels are not being applied.”
What power does the environmental group have, with only 19 elected representatives out of a total of 183? The only way to exist is to be a thorn in the side of the issue. By intervening and proposing motions. Some are adopted, such as the one on phasing out pesticides and glyphosate by 2030 or the one on free menstrual protection in high schools. But there is a “but.” “Of the 12 departments in the Region, Charente-Maritime ranks first in pesticide sales and last in terms of organic agricultural land.”
