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The plan to rebuild the Irénée de Bruyn Hospital on its current site in Gustavia continues to face opposition. On Tuesday, September 8, an island resident submitted a petition signed by 418 citizens to the Territorial Collectivity. The 51-page document calls for the cancellation of the feasibility studies and funding for the project to rebuild the healthcare facility in Gustavia in favor of the Saint-Jean site, on parcels (AK 558 and AK 629) owned by the Territorial Collectivity. The petition also calls for the annulment of the October 23, 2025, resolution allocating a capital grant of 28.8 million euros for the feasibility study of the hospital reconstruction project in Gustavia.
Admissibility to be Determined
“This petition has gathered more than 410 signatures, far exceeding the minimum required threshold of 5% of the electorate (i.e., 273 voters, calculated based on 5,462 registered voters as of December 4, 2025),” as stated in the letter accompanying the document addressed to Territorial Council President Xavier Lédée. The citizen who signed the petition also wrote: “In accordance with the provisions of Article LO 6231-1 of the General Code of Local Authorities, I ask that you submit this petition to the Executive Council so that it may rule on its admissibility through a reasoned decision.”
The petition filed on Tuesday with the Territorial Collectivity was launched at the end of last March by elected officials from the Action-Équilibre group. A few months earlier, in early December 2025, they had submitted a request to President Lédée: to organize a public consultation on the choice of location for the future hospital—specifically, between Saint-Jean and the current site in Gustavia. Despite the insistence of the Action-Équilibre elected officials, it was not until March 12 that their request was put to a vote by the territorial councilors. Although their request was rejected by a majority vote, they decided to seek public support through a petition.
“A completely legal framework”
Xavier Lédée confirms that he has acknowledged receipt of the petition and explains: “We need to verify that this is indeed the same petition mentioned by the elected officials, as there are some differences. It had been announced that two former mayors had signed it, but that does not appear to be the case in the list that was submitted to me.” Regarding the request made in the document, the president states: “It’s an opinion that deserves respect. I continue to believe that the Collectivity made its decisions within a framework that is entirely legal, transparent, and in consultation with elected officials. This decision may or may not please some people, but, in my view, it should not be called into question. ” He added that an analysis of the legal provisions of the Organic Law will be conducted. “There are several questions,” the elected official stated. “Is the matter legitimate under the Organic Law? Were the rules followed? Are all the signatures valid? Is the executive council in a position to take a stance on the deliberation, given that some council members are themselves signatories to the petition? The administrative offices have begun reviewing all of this to determine the appropriate next steps.”
Meanwhile, the hospital reconstruction project is moving forward, with preliminary designs for the future facility and financial assessments to be presented by the end of the year by the three architectural firms selected last June by the “project management” jury.
