The Printemps des Comédiens festival has been criticized by the Regional Audit Office for its "worrying" management.

The Regional Chamber of Accounts (CRC) of Occitanie published a scathing report on Monday, June 8th, concerning the management of the Printemps des Comédiens, one of France's most important theater festivals, created in Montpellier in 1987. The financial jurisdiction denounces "significant management and control dysfunctions" covering the period from 2019 to 2024, under the leadership of Jean Varela, who headed the institution from 2011 to the end of 2025. The report, initiated by a complaint from the president of the Hérault departmental council, notably points to "a certain erosion of governance bodies in favor of the director alone": without possessing the necessary powers and delegations, Jean Varela allegedly "concentrated a large part of the decision-making," leaving many expenses "insufficiently justified."

Poorly documented expenditures, €12,8 million in poorly controlled public subsidies

The Regional Chamber of Accounts (CRC) cites several concrete examples: two negotiated terminations signed by the director for a total of €143,000, as well as the "poorly detailed" budgets of two major productions—€720,529 for Ivo van Hove's After the Rehearsal/Persona in 2023, and €911,517 for Romeo Castellucci's Bérénice starring Isabelle Huppert in 2024. Over six years, the festival received €12,8 million in public funding from the department, the Montpellier Metropolitan Area, the national government, and the regional government, but these funders "did not fully exercise their oversight role," the CRC emphasizes. The president of the court, Valérie Renet, stated at a press conference that the share of the budget allocated to artistic programming had fallen from 40% to 30% over the period, a sign of a structural decline. Jean Varela, for his part, disputes the diagnosis, telling the Regional Chamber of Accounts (CRC) that the association presented "positive accounts, with a surplus of €183,000." This version is refuted by the mayor of Montpellier, Michaël Delafosse, who told AFP that he had "noted the extent of the deficit, which the Metropolis has compensated" and that he was "not ruling anything out" in terms of legal action. The Metropolis terminated Jean Varela's position in December 2025, citing "financial uncertainties and a lack of transparency from management." The name of his successor, chosen by a jury, is to be announced on Wednesday.