What’s good about Sébastien Eugene, mayor of Château-Thierryis that when he has something to say, he does not hold back. In 2024, the former president of the Agglo had taken his bad mood in the face.
This year, during the greetings ceremony organized at the Palais des Rencontres on Thursday January 9, “like every year, the first Thursday after the end of the end-of-year school holidays”, Sébastien Eugène targeted “the engineers of chaos”. It actually targets an association for the defense of the hospital that the mayor imagines under the influence of the disgruntled former deputy Jacques Krabal.
“Yes, we must mobilize for the hospital and maintain as many activities as possible there,” considers Sébastien Eugène. But to believe that the interim management would be responsible for refusal of authorization or the shortage of doctors is dishonest. To believe that she would play against our hospital is insulting and defamatory.”
“Their strings are so big…”
He recalls that the links between the hospitals of Château-Thierry and Soissons date back to the distant era when the deputy Krabal was also the mayor of the Castelle city, without naming him. “This marriage was decided in 2016, by the very people who today cry conflict of interest. At the time, I was neither mayor nor a member of the board of supervisors. And the current director wasn’t even in Aisne!”
Then Sébastien Eugène targeted the association “My health I care about, my hospital my living area I support”. “Today I could talk for hours about past management errors. To say that the so-called hospital defense association is only an electoral association with a view to the 2026 municipal elections. To talk about those who pull the strings behind the scenes. Of those who have gotten into the habit of announcing that our hospital will close or be dismantled before each electoral campaign. Their strings are so thick, so used, that I rely on the wisdom of my fellow citizens.”
Eugène leaves the radical party
As a preamble to his speech, Sébastien Eugène indicated that he would not take his card back to the radical party. Which he had been a member of for 15 years. “I will now be without a label.”
And the wishes in all this?
This ceremony of wishes was an opportunity for Mayor Castel to present projects for 2025. Until the later deadline of 2040. “We will continue the renovation of part of Avenue de Soissons. Then we will begin the redevelopment of Avenue de Montmirail as part of the program to improve our entrances to the city. We will start in 2025 on the eastern part, where the networks were buried last year.”
The western part will follow “with the redevelopment of the space dedicated to memorial monuments, Place Paul Doumer”. With the continuation of the installation of candelabra heads with low consumption bulbs, between now and February 1st. “We should be able to double the number of streets that will stay lit at night.”
9 million investments in 2025
This year, nine million euros are planned for investment in the 2025 budget and the finishing touches to the programs are a priority. The mayor sees far ahead, until 2040. After the installation of a new athletics track at the stadium, “the second step will be to expand the parking lot on part of the nearby sports area, and to better develop the remaining part, in particular with a covered space highly requested by schools and pétanque players. The third stage will consist of the renovation of the buildings and their reorganization with, ideally, the construction of changing rooms overlooking the synthetic field. All this on one condition: “The merger of the two football clubs remains a precondition for the renovation of the locker rooms.”
The station area is at the heart of the mayor’s concerns, even if the development of the square is on hold. “The station footbridge will be made accessible and work will begin at the end of the year” The file for the construction of a residence for young people will be presented in the first half of the year. And the construction of a social seniors residence “could also see the light of day in the station district”.
For False Marne, the hope is that by 2040, it will be better valued. After the popular districts of Blanchard and Vaucrises, the Vignotte district will benefit from modernization over several years. Studies to expand the Brossolette gymnasium will begin this year and the long-term U1 architectural project will follow its course.
A footbridge over the Marne
Still in a 2040 vision of the city, Sébastien Eugène looks at the future of the Victor-Hugo and United States squares which “have enormous potential, but they are aging and we will have to, by 2040, imagine their renovation “.
On this horizon, “since we are at the imagination stage, a silo car park could see the light of day, in connection with a renovated or rebuilt Palais des Sports, creating a harmonious whole on Place Jean-Moulin.” And the mayor imagines a new crossing of the Marne: “Why not imagine the creation of a footbridge between this space and the Saint-Joseph park? This would allow access to the island’s schools from bus stops located on the right bank of the Marne…”
The challenge for 2040 is also “to undertake a major energy renovation program for our 55 public buildings”. The local police force will have to evolve due to the regular increase in its numbers. And accommodate the management of the numerous new protection cameras installed in the city. Likewise, the municipal social action center will also need to evolve.
The modernization of the nursing training center and the expansion of the health center in Blanchard are also on the minds.
Thinking about 2040 is looking far ahead, but before that, there are the next municipal elections in 2026…
Krabal replies
Targeted by the current mayor of Château-Thierry, former deputy Jacques Krabal reacts on the Facebook page of a member of the office of this “apolitical” association, target of the mayor’s ire. Because although he was present at the Palais des Rencontres, it was through this that we were able to read his reaction.
In summary, nothing in the mayor’s wishes is correct. It is on the hospital and the association that he remains the most factual: “For the hospital, the problems are national, but congratulations to the Soisson management. Nothing about maternity and the loss of 2A, nothing about the Usic (Cardiology Intensive Care Unit, Editor’s note) and the loss of authorization… Nothing about the difficulties of emergencies, etc. It’s all the fault of the hospital defense association, which is just an electoral operation for the municipal elections! Which shows his fear!”
