Paris's socialist mayor under fire for ‘cuddle-a-guinea-pig' project
Anne Hidalgo's town hall earmarked the money for the association Pat à Pas (Paw by Step), which says its mission is to promote wellbeing, fulfilment, and self-sufficiency through contact with nature, notably 'animal-assisted therapy'.
The project entails hundreds of hours of sessions with children to feed, brush, and cuddle guinea pigs. Such animals are 'allies and facilitators' who accept humans for 'who they are, not who they should be,' it says on its website.
Children are invited to reconnect with the rhythms of nature to 'rediscover our senses, the essence and meaning of our presence to ourselves, to others, to the world and to our future'.
The organisation also conducts workshops in retirement homes and with the homeless.
The funding was picked up by Citizens' Transparency, an association 'fighting against corruption and the misuse of public funds' in France. The group said it was appalled by the 'often opaque and ideological funding choices that are detrimental to the real needs of Parisians', among the €300 million (£259 million) the town hall is set to dole out to such initiatives in 2025.
It has drawn up a list of 'daft' projects among those approved in the latest municipal council meeting last week.
The group questioned the merits of the guinea pig projects, which Paris town hall has said said helps 'children's psychosocial skills (emotion regulation)'.
Citizens' Transparency's post on X sparked a host of reactions.
Bruno Tertrais, head of the Foundation for Strategic Research, an influential international security and defence think tank, wrote: '[This] or 100 days of meals for a homeless person, but it's up to you.'
Another user wrote: 'We're broke, we're going to have to close nurseries ... But we'll still be able to cuddle guinea pigs.'
Others suggested there was a more productive and satisfying way of spending the money on the cuddly pets.
'In Ecuador, it's much cheaper! I took a course to learn how to cook them, and it cost me the equivalent of €8 [£6.91]. Plus, it was a delight; I discovered that the pleasure of the taste buds is true therapy,' wrote one user on X.
However, others were more supportive of the scheme.
'Everyone knows that animals help you feel calmer, more confident, etc. This project is far from daft,' wrote one.
'Glaring lack of rigour'
As the online debate raged on, Citizens' Transparency listed other 'questionable' schemes receiving government funding.
These included €5,000 (£4,316) for 'a radio [station] that only broadcasts in Eritrea'.
'While this independent radio is not without merit, should Parisians be the ones paying for a radio they cannot listen to?' the transparency group asked.
A further €1,500 (£1,294) was set aside for 'gymnastics classes tailored to LGBTQI+ seniors' so that these 'remain affordable'.
The group also took issue with handing €2,000 (£1,726) to 'social environmentalist' association Action Justice Climate. Behind the title, it said, lies a hard-Left group for whom 'ecology is the least of their concerns'.
'Their real fight is anti-fascism, pension reform, and promoting the New Popular Front (a Left-wing parliamentary alliance). Parisians, this is what you're funding,' wrote the group.
'These subsidies highlight a glaring lack of rigour and transparency in the management of public funds,' it contended.
'While Parisians face unprecedented economic pressures, elected officials must be held accountable for these choices.'
The association has launched a petition, which has more than 700 signatures so far, calling for 'an immediate review of the criteria for awarding subsidies, giving priority to projects of proven public interest'.
The petition demands 'full transparency on the use of funds, with public and verifiable reports', as well as 'an end to subsidies for ideological projects that contradict the principle of public service neutrality or have no measurable impact on citizens'.
'Public funds must serve all Parisians, not militant political agendas.'
Paris' town hall last week approved €11.5 billion (£9.9 billion) in spending, including €1.75 billion (£1.5 billion) in investment.
During heated debates, Ms Hidalgo blasted the government for imposing €275 million (£237 million) in extra levies in a bid to reduce the state deficit.
But the Right-wing opposition responded that this was a fig leaf for the mayor's 'catastrophic' management, which it said would see the capital's debt 'explode' to hit a cumulative total of €9.3 billion (£8 billion) in 2025.
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