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The association La Coquette has taken legal action once morest the choice of the City of Morges for a new seasonal refreshment bar instead of the one that has existed since 2018.
La Coquette also organizes free concerts by the lake in Morges (VD).
Coquette
“Why wait for a tree to grow following four years and, when it starts to bear fruit, want to cut it down in order to plant another shrub?” Member of the Morges association Coquette, which operates a seasonal bar by the lake, the writer Blaise Hofmann has the sense of the formula to explain his incomprehension in the face of the decision of the Executive of Morges. After a call for projects, the Municipality chose a new bar called La Crique, instead of La Coquette and its three containers converted into bars at alternative prices and a stage for free shows.
The operators of La Coquette first showed their resistance by launching a petition. In less than three weeks, nearly 6,000 signatures were collected. The dispute also occupied the debates of the local Legislative. “It is clear that the decision of the Municipality, if it remains final, marks an abrupt, even brutal end to this cultural and economic institution from Morges”, notably reacted the elected Green Pascal Gemperli in an interpellation.
“The La Coquette affair triggered such a tsunami that even the borders of our canton saw the waves.”
Misunderstanding also prevails among the elected socialist Camille Robert. Who wonders in particular why the City does not choose to expand the offer with a second seasonal bar instead of ejecting one. “The heroine who animated and accompanied our last four summers must bow out and, to some applause, disappear behind the municipal curtains,” said the socialist in an interpellation.
The City “takes note”
Since Wednesday, the dispute has taken a legal turn. The La Coquette association filed an appeal with the Cantonal Court. “The Municipality takes note of the announcement of the filing of an appeal by La Coquette once morest the award to La Crique of the operation of a seasonal refreshment bar for the years 2022 to 2024”, commented the City of Morges. According to the authorities, the selection process was carried out according to the rules. They will ask “the lifting of the suspensive effect caused by the appeal in order to guarantee the activities of a summer refreshment bar by the lake”.
But, convinced that the La Coquette tree and the La Crique shrub can cohabit in Morges, Blaise Hofmann does not despair of seeing the parties “discuss around constructive proposals to quickly reach a consensual solution”.
(apn)