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Stéphane Bern elected head of Saint‑Denis basilica restoration group, mayor disputes vote
Television presenter Stéphane Bern was elected president of the association "Suivez la Flèche", which oversees the reconstruction of the flèche and north tower of the Basilica of Saint‑Denis. The board voted unanimously on 23 July 2026, giving Bern 17 of 27 votes after an assembly held on 15 July 2026.
Bally Bagayoko, mayor of Saint‑Denis and member of La France Insoumise, publicly denounced the election as an unprecedented break in the traditional governance of the project, which has historically been chaired by the city’s mayor. The mayor alleges numerous voting irregularities, including participation by members whose association status was unclear and the exclusion of seats, and says he may refer the matter to the courts to seek annulment. Bern has defended the regularity of the vote and expressed a desire to attract new donors for the restoration. The association, founded in 2016, was created to manage the restoration of the basilica’s flèche and north tower after fire damage and structural decay.
Entities
Bally Bagayoko · Basilica of Saint‑Denis · Stéphane Bern · Suivez la Flèche
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Mayor Bagayoko said he may take legal action to annul the election. citoyens.com · www.lejdd.fr
- [● 4 SOURCES] Stéphane Bern was elected president of the association Suivez la Flèche, which manages the reconstruction of the flèche and north tower of the Basilica of Saint‑Denis. almouwatin.com · citoyens.com · www.huffingtonpost.fr · www.lejdd.fr
- [● 4 SOURCES] Mayor Bally Bagayoko publicly contested the election, calling it an unprecedented break in the project's governance. almouwatin.com · citoyens.com · www.huffingtonpost.fr · www.lejdd.fr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Suivez la Flèche was founded in 2016 to manage the restoration of the basilica’s flèche and north tower. almouwatin.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Stéphane Bern defended the regularity of the election and said he wants to attract new donors for the restoration. almouwatin.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The board of Suivez la Flèche elected Bern unanimously on 23 July 2026, after an assembly on 15 July 2026. www.lejdd.fr
- [● 2 SOURCES] The mayor alleged irregularities in the vote, including participation by members whose association status was unclear and the exclusion of seats. citoyens.com · www.lejdd.fr
- [● 2 SOURCES] Since its creation in 2016, the presidency of Suivez la Flèche has traditionally been held by the mayor of Saint‑Denis. almouwatin.com · www.lejdd.fr