In Plœuc-l’Hermitage, the preparations for “the potato in celebration” are a little spoiled by the controversy on “the most beautiful festivals in France”. Pierre-Édouard Sterin, the billionaire who does not hide his desire to see the far right win the elections, would have invested in the label. Several Breton festivals refuse to be associated with its name.
“We had applied to the label of ‘most beautiful festivals in France’ because we thought it was a good idea to defend rural festivals, Recalls Pascal Allo, president of the Belle du Lié who organizes “La Potato en Fête” in Ploeuc-l’Hermitage in the Côtes d’Armor. We set up a file. We put energy there. “
All this took place in the spring, and then, at the end of May, the news arrived: “Among the 170 files submitted, we were one of the 44 festivals labeled. For us it was a little pride, the volunteers were very happy, it was a recognition of their work and their investment”. And patatras!
Like several other organizers of Breton festivals or festivals, Pascal Allo was not wary of this association The most beautiful festivals in France.“It was an association that had a storefront, it had been received in the Senate, also received by the Association of Mayors of France.“
On its website, the Association Les most beautiful festivals in France offers to defend celebrations and festivals, with an agenda: “Coming from our agricultural traditions, our legends, our lifestyles, our history or our gastronomy, the holidays are the expression of our cultural and social identity. The association of the most beautiful festivals in France is committed so that local traditions are perpetuated and for our territories to remain living places, social bond factors.“
But recently, the billionaire Pierre-Édouard Sterin entered the capital of the association. And that invites you to reread the sentences carefully. The man who made a fortune with the smartboxes shows wanting to put his millions at the service of his ideas. Traditionalist Catholic, pro-life activist (anti-abortion), he wishes to unite the lines and the extreme right to allow them to access power. His project, named “Pericles”, is thus the acronym of patriots, rooted, resistant, identity, Christians, liberals, Europeans, sovereignists.
“Politicae”: the training school for future elected officials partly funded by billionaire Pierre-Édouard Sterin.
With his Périclès project, he plans to invest 150 million euros by 2032 to win the right and the extreme right.#CashInvestigation pic.twitter.com/wp9aS8nshZ– France TV (@Francetv) June 24, 2025
On their Facebook page, for example, the most beautiful festivals in France promote the Pepper Festival in Espelette, that of the Madeleine in Commercy.
“In fact, he wanted to infiltrate the rural world, Indigines Thibaut Guignard, the mayor of Ploeuc-l’Hermitage. It is an attempt to manipulate. “
“We were far from it all! s’agace Pascal Allo. This controversy exasperates me. Politics have nothing to do with it. “
“We have been organizing this party for 25 years, he testifies, that everyone is united, talk to each other. There are 650 volunteers, almost all the houses of Ploeuc are investing. There has never been a policy.
Our project was to energize a production that needed it, to move people.”
If there are people who invest themselves with the sole purpose of taking advantage of this kind of thing, it is completely messing around!
Pascal Allo, co-president of the Belle du Lié
“If there are people who invest themselves with the sole purpose of taking advantage of this kind of thing, it is completely messing around! It would have been the far left, it would have been the same. Politics has nothing to do in there! “ he insists.
The association has decided to withdraw from the label and immediately stopped affixing its macaron on its documents. “”We do t-shirts for volunteers, we were proud to put the label on it. As soon as we echoed the case, we stopped everything. Fortunately. I couldn’t see myself proudly carrying something that is tainted with these bullshit ” Storm Pascal Allo.
In a press release, the label of the most beautiful festivals in France defends itself from these accusations: “The association The most beautiful festivals in France was created in 2024 to enhance traditional popular festivals and support their organizers, in response to the difficulties encountered by them: volunteer crisis, financing difficulties, lack of recognition of teams, lack of visibility. The association is strictly apolitical, non-lucrative and disinterested.“
Denials that have not convinced the festivals. The Icelandic Day in Paimpol, a grain of pirate in Binic or the major regattas of Port Navalo said that they only wanted this label to be attached to their event.
The association The most beautiful festivals in France nevertheless promised subsidies and promotion, with in particular a publication in a Michelin guide to be published. Thibaut Guignard, the mayor of Ploeuc-l’Hermitage, prefers to give it up.
We have the feeling of having been rolled in flour
Thibault Guignard, mayor of Ploeuc-l’Hermitage
“It does not matter for us because 2,000 euros on a budget of 215,000, this is not what will change the face of the party. Our party has existed for a long time, it brings together thousands of people. It does not matter in fact, but it is in principle. We have the feeling of having been rolled in flour.”
An opinion shared by Fanny Chappé, the mayor of Paimpol who denounces a total absence of transparency in this story. “At no time did they announce the color, she says, And suddenly, we discover a political intention behind this association. “
The elected representative recalls that Icelandic feast was created to remember the city’s sea past, the time when sailors embarked long months at sea to fish cod. “For this kind of celebration, there must not be a political subsidy, whatever it is. Even less when the project is to participate in the rise of the extreme right.”
“Pierre-Édouard Sterin wants to instrumentalize festivals with ticketsshe accuses. But, we do not need the extreme right to enhance our heritage and our culture. We don’t need them! “”
After the time of annoyance, comes that of concern. Fanny Chappé wonders about the impact of this infiltration attempt. “”This will consolidate the conspiratorial trend of all those who think we are subject to manipulations, she regrets. When you are elected, you are volunteers, you are struggling and you do it in good faith, it is particularly angry. “”
In Ploeuc-l’Hermitage, Pascal Allo returned to his preparations. He expects some 30,000 visitors around entertainment on potatoes, concerts, tastings … “The page is turnedhe said. On move on to something else. This label story is not what will make us live, that’s not what will make us die! “
