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On February 6, Vincent Berton will leave Saint-Barthélemy to take up the post of Prefect of Corrèze four days later. At the same time, Cyrille Le Vely will take up his duties on Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin as the first ever full prefect for the two islands. Vincent Berton's imminent departure therefore invites us to reflect on his almost three years representing the State in the Northern Isles.
First of all, the future Prefect of Corrèze is keen to make it clear that there will be no discontinuity in the State's presence. "A new team is being set up, with the prefect and the secretary general, but for the rest, the prefecture's civil servants have been there for several years", he reminds us. He is equally reassuring about the arrival of his successor. "A servant of the State doesn't arrive with his own roadmap," he explains, before outlining the main issues facing Saint-Barthélemy that are sure to occupy Cyrille Le Vely's day-to-day work. First and foremost, of course, is safety.
"Without security, Saint-Barth will no longer be the same destination".
"I've made sure to put a lot of resources in place," stresses Vincent Berton. He cites the increase in the number of gendarmerie personnel, the regularity of checks, the presence of a sniffer dog to combat drug trafficking, and so on. The rule of law cannot be segmented," he reminds us. The population has high expectations. But without security, Saint-Barth won't be the same destination. So we have to remain extremely vigilant. "Prefect Berton also mentions health, education and housing in the pile of major issues. It's a crisis of proportions that can be crippling for the island," he insists. On this issue, the State will support the Collectivité. "
Creation of a fully-fledged prefecture, increased staffing levels, opening of the Saline slaughterhouse, creation of Cop Saint-Barth, setting up of the ComGend beach, introduction of a day to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade, etc.e de commémoration de l'abolition de l'esclavage, les assises de la pêche, the developments and other achievements have been numerous since his arrival in March 2022. But his duties on Saint-Barthélemy have also brought him other moments of satisfaction. Like the arrival of the Transat, at night on a boat," he recalls. I'm also thinking of cultural events. But there have also been much harder moments. I'm still thinking of the death of little Mina, who was also a strong expression of a community helping each other. "
"A child's dream
Vincent Berton will also remember Saint-Barthélemy for "its great economic, associative and cultural dynamism". He adds: "There's a lot of energy, a lot of movement. In Saint-Barthélemy, there's never a surprise! The island is lively and stimulating. "He confides: "Coming to Saint-Barth was the fulfillment of a childhood dream. When I was a kid growing up in Lorient, Brittany, I used to watch the start of the Transat between Lorient and Saint-Barthélemy. Afterwards, during the race, we used to follow the position of the boats with pins that we placed on a map..." In Saint-Barth, he also rediscovered his desire to sail. Even if his return to the helm of a sailing club dinghy leaves him with the memory of a "lesson in humility" after a few unexpected wrecks.
After immersing himself in the blue of the Caribbean, Vincent Berton will now plunge into the green of Corrèze. He will certainly have in mind the memory of an island, Saint-Barthélemy, whose "exceptional success over the last thirty years" deserves to endure.
