Accountability on Ice in Crans-Montana

In politics, a prolonged silence is rarely a sign of quiet competence. More often, it is a strategic pause before a carefully managed return to the stage. The mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Féraud, has ended his self-imposed public silence, which began after the disastrous fire on January 1st, not with a full accounting, but with a masterclass in political self-defense.

The most glaring episode involves a coffee meeting. After a grueling twelve-hour interrogation by prosecutors in April, Féraud met with the municipality's former security chief, another individual accused in the same investigation. Féraud dismisses the resulting accusations of collusion as absurd, framing the meeting as a simple act of friendship and support. His logic is that if they had intended to conspire, they had four months to do so more discreetly. One might wonder if this is the most reassuring defense a public official can offer.

Unsurprisingly, the mayor has no intention of resigning. Calls for him to step down, particularly from Italian media, are waved away. To leave his post, in his telling, would be an act of cowardice and desertion. He was elected, he insists, to manage affairs in good times and bad. This is a noble sentiment, but it conveniently sidesteps the question of political responsibility when things go catastrophically wrong under one's own administration.

Féraud claims the municipal council is now more united than ever, a curious statement given the circumstances. He and another council member, Patrick Clivaz, are both subjects of the investigation and must leave the room whenever their own responsibilities are discussed. This hardly paints a picture of a seamless, functioning government; it suggests a leadership team hamstrung by its own legal troubles. Much of the council's work, he admits, now revolves around the disaster's aftermath, from security to dealing with the justice system and the victims' families.

The financial horizon looks just as troubled. Civil proceedings could stretch on for fifteen years, a period during which the municipality might be unable to build any financial reserves. Despite this, Féraud assures residents there is no plan to raise taxes, a promise that may prove difficult to keep as the bills come due. He is certain, however, that placing the municipality under administration would be pointless. The citizens of Crans-Montana are left to weigh whether they are witnessing steadfast leadership in a crisis or merely the determined survival of a politician.

Written by Christiane Hofreiter christiane.hofreiter@alpineweekly.com