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Whatever the outcome, the territorial council meeting scheduled for Monday March 17 will go down in the history of the young Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy. At 8.30am, the nineteen elected representatives who make up the assembly were summoned to the deliberations room at the Hôtel de la Collectivité to decide whether Xavier Lédée or Marie-Hélène Bernier will be President for the next two years of the current term. A motion of no-confidence signed by the eight councillors of the Action-Équilibre group and submitted on March 3 by second vice-president Bettina Cointre to the head of services forced the nineteen elected members of the territorial council to make a choice: to keep Xavier Lédée in the chair or to install his first vice-president and leader of the Action-Équilibre group, Marie-Hélène Bernier.
Anything but an epilogue
The filing of a motion of no-confidence by the Action-Équilibre group was surprising in its suddenness. Nevertheless, the move is just another stage in the progressive decay of a succession governance marked by countless incidents. After 27 years under the presidency of Bruno Magras, Saint-Barthélemy was due to enter an era of renewal thanks to Xavier Lédée and his majority. The latter was born of a merger with the list carried by Marie-Hélène Bernier between the two rounds of the territorial elections in March 2022. However, the three years since their accession to power have only confirmed Bruno Magras' prediction, made at the time of the announcement of the union of the two lists, that this "marriage of carp and rabbit" would be short-lived. Indeed, just over a year after the March 2022 election, the apparent entente cordiale between Xavier Lédée and Marie-Hélène Bernier has broken down, leading to a motion of no-confidence. But the vote on Monday March 17, 2025, whether in favor of the Chairman or his First Vice-Chairman, was anything but an epilogue.
At the end of a logic
Since the break-up between Xavier Lédée and the elected members of the Action-Équilibre group in early 2024, the possibility of a motion of no-confidence has been raised. This prospect became all the more concrete at the end of April, when negotiations began between the elected representatives of the Saint-Barth d'Abord group and those of Action-Équilibre. Everyone seemed to agree that they had to eject Xavier Lédée from the presidency. Saint-Barth d'Abord had even drafted a motion of no-confidence in June 2024. However, the two groups were never able to agree on who should take over the presidency. Saint-Barth d'Abord felt it should be Romaric Magras, while Action-Équilibre proposed Bettina Cointre or Marie-Hélène Bernier. In the end, no common ground was found and no motion tabled. Consequently, after the territorial council meeting of Thursday February 27, during which Saint-Barth d'Abord, through the voice of Alexandra Questel, voiced strong criticism of Xavier LéDuring the budget debate, the eight members of Action-Équilibre felt it was time to confront their colleagues with "their responsibilities". Tabling a motion of no-confidence would therefore be tantamount to taking their logic to its logical conclusion.
The unlikely rallying of Saint-Barth d'Abord
From now on, all the cards are in the hands of the group officially headed by Romaric Magras. Even if he has distanced himself from the life of the assembly since the beginning of the year. Indeed, the territorial councillor has resigned from his position on the executive council, without relinquishing his seat as territorial councillor. Alexandra Questel is now the group's representative.
When asked about Saint-Barth d'Abord's position ahead of the territorial council meeting on Monday March 17, the elected representative was cautious, in stark contrast to her strident speech at the territorial council meeting on February 27. Our position is neutral," she says. Our aim is to find a way out of the crisis and this stalemate. We've initiated discussions with Action-Équilibre, and also with the President. We need to get the personal side of the story out of the way, and find out what we can do and with whom. "In fact, it's not just a question of determining whether Xavier Lédée or Marie-Hélène Bernier should remain in or be elevated to the president's chair.
For Saint-Barth d'Abord, the choice is a Cornelian one. After three years of openly criticizing President Lédée's alleged choices, "inaction" and "inertiaAfter three years of openly criticizing President Lédée's alleged choices, "inaction" and "inertia", the group may seize the opportunity to oust the man they accuse of leading "a hesitant and overcautious policy". Nevertheless, several obstacles stand in the way of the group's decision. Obstacles which make a rallying of the Action-Équilibre elected members to endorse the no-confidence motion unlikely, to say the least.
The tutelary shadow of Bruno Magras
First and foremost, the installation of Marie-Hélène Bernier as President. Beyond the disagreements between Saint-Barth d'Abord and Action-Équilibre on various issues, Marie-Hélène Bernier embodies the opposition to the former president, Bruno Magras, during previous terms of office. Consequently, for the elected representatives of the former mayor's historic party, supporting the election of Marie-Hélène Bernier could be seen as a betrayal of their father and his legacy. And yet, Bernier's influence remains predominant. As proof of this, since the beginning of the mandate in March 2022, many elected representatives (from all three groups) have visited Bruno Magras' office or contacted him for advice. President Lédée in particular. In addition, there is another parameter to consider for Saint-Barth d'Abord.
Senate elections in sight
In June 2026, the senatorial elections will be held. Unlike other elections (territorial, legislative, presidential), senators are elected by indirect universal suffrage in two rounds. In other words, Saint-Barthélemy's 21 electors elect their representative to the Senate. The nineteen elected members of the territorial council, the deputy and the senator. However, Senator Micheline Jacques, who has been elected since 2020, has made no secret of her desire to continue her work in the Palais du Luxembourg, where she has acquired a certain stature (president of the senatorial delegation for overseas France). To do so, she needs to secure 11 votes. In the event of an agreement between the presidential group (five elected members) and Saint-Barth d'Abord (six elected members), the senator would have very little room for manoeuvre and little certainty. Alternatively, if she were to reach agreement with the Action-Équilibre group, which has eight councillors, the total would rise to fourteen votes. Definitely more comfortable.
Open or secret ballot?
For Monday morning's vote, territorial councillors once again have two options. The first, and most obvious, is an open, public vote. This will make it possible to know in real time the decision taken by each elected member. This is undoubtedly the process most favorable to President Lédée. Indeed, it is less likely that any undecided candidates will openly express their choice if the vote is public and nominative. Another solution: a secret ballot. In this configuration, hesitants or those who do not necessarily wish to follow the path laid out by their group will be able to vote freely.
No neutrality possible for Saint-Barth d'Abord
In both cases, the motion should receive a minimum of eight votes. Those of the elected members of Action-Équilibre (Marie-Hélène Bernier, Bettina Cointre, Maxime Desouches, Dimitri Lédée, Jonas Brin, Pascale Minarro Baudoin, David Blanchard and Cécile Rubino Tessier), who drafted and tabled the motion. For it to be adopted, ten elected representatives must vote "in favor". Consequently, since it is hardly conceivable that any of the five councillors in the presidential group (Xavier Lédée, Marie-Angèle Aubin - who has just resigned from the chairmanship of the environment committee - Fabrice Baudelaire and Cécile Rubino Tessier) would vote in favor of the motion, the motion will have to be adopted.sidence of the environment commission - Fabrice Querrard, Olivier Gréaux and Melissa Lake) will vote against the ousting of the president, the outcome of the vote will rest on the shoulders of the Saint-Barth d'Abord group.
Romaric Magras, Alexandra Questel, Senator Micheline Jacques, Rudi Laplace, Sandra Baptiste and Francius Matignon will have to disregard the neutrality referred to earlier by Alexandra Questel and choose sides. Either by allowing Xavier Lédée to complete his term of office as President, or by shifting governance in another direction. A heavy responsibility, which, in either case, does not augur well for the end of the mandate.
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Marie-Angèle Aubin steps down as Chair of the Environment Committee
In a letter to Chairman Xavier Lédée dated March 7, Marie-Angèle Aubin, third vice-chairman, tendered her resignation from the chairmanship of the Environment Commission. However, she indicates that she "wishes to remain a member".
A review of representation on the Executive Council?
A few days ago, Romaric Magras, Territorial Councillor and President of the Saint-Barth d'Abord group, stepped down from his position on the Collectivité's Executive Council. From now on, the EC will be made up of six elected members: Xavier Lédée and Marie-Angèle Aubin for the presidential group (which has five elected members), Marie-Hélène Bernier, Bettina Cointre and Maxime Desouches for Action-Équilibre (eight elected members) and Alexandra Questel, the sole representative of Saint-Barth d'Abord (six elected members). As a result, the question of respecting the representativeness of the groups within the territorial council seems to have arisen. This issue will no doubt be addressed at upcoming meetings between elected representatives.
A budget under high tension
On March 27, ten days after the vote of no-confidence, the elected members of the territorial council will meet to examine and vote on the 2025 budget. Whatever the outcome of the session devoted to the no-confidence motion tabled by Action-Équilibre, it seems clear that the budget vote will take place in a highly charged atmosphere. In 2024, the Saint-Barth d'Abord group voted against the budget submitted by the majority group. It was followed by Marie-Hélène Bernier, first vice-president, who strongly affirmed her break with President Lédée. With an assembly made up of three distinct groups, anything can happen at the territorial council meeting on March 27.
