"Who's paying for her stay?": Nathalie Goulet reignites the controversy surrounding Aurore Bergé's presence in Cannes

Senator Nathalie Goulet, a centrist from Orne, strongly challenged Emmanuel Macron and Sébastien Lecornu on Saturday regarding Aurore Bergé's presence at the Cannes Film Festival. "Here in Orne, we don't understand why Aurore Bergé is in Cannes, and besides, who is paying for her stay, especially during this period of budget cuts!" she wrote, sparking numerous reactions on social media.

Initially, Nathalie Goulet published an image presented as being of Aurore Bergé on the red carpet. The minister quickly reacted, stating that the photo was a "fake." The senator then acknowledged her mistake and deleted the image, before reposting another authentic photo clearly showing the minister at the Cannes Film Festival. "Minister Aurore Bergé informs me that the video circulating is a fake, but she is indeed in Cannes; here is the correct photo," she subsequently posted on X.

The controversy surrounding this trip comes as Aurore Bergé participates in several events organized on the Croisette focusing on cinema, culture, and the fight against sexual violence in the film industry. But for Nathalie Goulet, the question of the cost and political expediency of this ministerial presence remains entirely open in the current budgetary context.