Nearly half a million euros blocked: a halt to the mosque project in Metz

The construction of the Grand Mosque of Metz, estimated at more than 15 million euros and intended to accommodate 4,000 worshippers, loses an important financial support. Seized by the Union of Secular Families (UFAL), the court invalidated the 490,000 euro subsidy granted by the municipal council. Although the local law of Alsace-Moselle allows, unlike the rest of France, the financing of cults, a strict condition remains: the municipality must demonstrate that the aid responds to a "local need".

However, according to the judges, the city hall has failed on this point. While it has cited the insufficiency of the current places of worship, it has not provided "any quantified elements, nor a concrete inventory" to support the public interest of the financing. A victory for the UFAL, which now demands the reimbursement of the funds if they have already been paid.

The reaction from the town hall did not take long. The mayor of Metz, François Grosdidier, criticized a decision he considers "out of touch" and immediately announced his intention to appeal. He promises to provide formal proof that the current conditions of prayer are "unworthy" and that this complex, which also includes classrooms and a cultural center, is essential to local life.