Brigitte Barèges

{{infobox officeholder

| name = Brigitte Barèges

| image = Brigitte Barèges.jpg

| office = Mayor of Montauban

| term_start = 22 December 2021

| term_end = 19 August 2024

| predecessor = Axel de Labriolle

| successor = Marie-Claude Berly

| term_start1 = 24 March 2001

| term_end1 = 9 February 2021

| predecessor1 = Roland Garrigues

| successor1 = Axel de Labriolle

| office3 = Member of the National Assembly
for Tarn-et-Garonne's 1st constituency

| term_start3 = 18 July 2024

| term_end3 =

| predecessor3 = Valérie Rabault

| successor3 =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|05|01|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Toulouse, France

| nationality = French

| party = Union of the Right for the Republic (2024–present)

| term_start4 = 19 June 2002

| term_end4 = 12 June 2012

| predecessor4 = Roland Garrigues

| successor4 = Valérie Rabault

| otherparty = Rally for the Republic (1993–2002)
Union for a Popular Movement (2002–2015)
The Republicans (2015–2024)

| children = 3

| caption = Brigitte Barèges in 2009

| birth_name = Brigitte Taurines

| occupation = Politician, lawyer

}}

Brigitte Barèges ({{IPA|fr|bʁiʒit baʁɛʒ|lang}}; born 1 May 1953) is a French politician and lawyer who has been a member of the National Assembly since 2024, representing Tarn-et-Garonne's 1st constituency. She is a member of the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR).{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Figure de la droite en Occitanie, Brigitte Baregès quitte Les Républicains… pour le parti d'Éric Ciotti |url=https://actu.fr/politique/figure-de-la-droite-en-occitanie-brigitte-bareges-quitte-les-republicains-pour-le-parti-d-eric-ciotti_61667756.html |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=actu.fr |language=fr}}

From March 2001 to February 2021 and again from December 2021 to August 2024, she worked as the mayor of Montauban.{{Cite web |author=Office of the Secretary General |year=2012 |title=Brigitte Barèges |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/13/tribun/fiches_id/267561.asp |accessdate=28 February 2012 |work=Assemblee-nationale.fr |publisher=National Assembly of France |language=French}}

Controversies and legal issues

Barèges sparked a controversy when she voiced brusque opposition to proposals for legalized same-sex marriage: "Why not let people marry animals, too?"{{Cite web |url=http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/politique/mariage-homosexuel-et-pourquoi-pas-des-unions-avec-des-animaux-104747.html |title=Mariage homosexuel: Et pourquoi pas des unions avec des animaux? |author= |language=French |trans-title=|year=2011 |publisher=France Soir |work=Francesoir.fr |accessdate=28 February 2012 }} Barèges sparked a controversy when she described a black person of her party as "humain stain".{{Cite web |url=http://www.lepoint.fr/municipales-2014/municipales-2014-montauban-la-blague-douteuse-de-la-maire-ump-brigitte-bareges-15-02-2014-1792143_1966.php |title=La blague douteuse de Brigitte Barèges |language=French |accessdate=16 February 2014 }} Barèges was punished by French courts because she refused to celebrate the wedding of a foreign couple.{{Cite web |url= http://www.liberation.fr/societe/01012347518-une-maire-ump-condamnee-pour-refus-de-mariage |title=Une maire UMP condamnée pour refus de mariage |language=French |accessdate=16 February 2014 }}

On 17 February 2014, the prosecutor announces that it will conduct an investigation for embezzlement of public funds. Despite this challenge on the judicial front, on 30 March 2014, Barèges won the municipal elections in Montauban for a third term. During the summer of 2014, CNCCFP rejects the accounts for the municipal elections. On 21 October 2014, following the rejection of her campaign accounts, Barèges was condemned to one year of ineligibility and non-reimbursement of campaign expenses by the Administrative Court of Toulouse. The court mentioned the use of municipality funds to fund an illegal advertising campaign during the election.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2014/10/21/la-maire-ump-de-montauban-brigitte-bareges-declaree-ineligible-pour-un-an_4509602_823448.html |title=Brigitte Barèges, maire UMP de Montauban, déclarée inéligible pour un an |author= |language=French |trans-title=Brigitte Barèges, UMP mayor of Montauban, declared ineligible for one year |year=2014 |publisher=Le Monde |work=lemonde.fr |accessdate=21 October 2014 }}

On 9 February 2021, she was condemned to an 18 months prison suspended sentence, a 15 000 € fine and five years of ineligibility with immediate effect.{{cite journal |last1=Lebrun |first1=Olivier |last2=Danyel |first2=Pascale |date=9 February 2021 |title=Brigitte Barèges condamnée à cinq ans d'inéligibilité n'est plus maire de Montauban |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/brigitte-bareges-condamnee-a-cinq-ans-d-ineligibilite-n-est-plus-maire-de-montauban-1612876711 |journal=France Bleu Occitanie |access-date=9 February 2021}} On appeal, in December 14, 2021, she was acquitted of the charges against her . While the public prosecutor's office decided not to appeal her acquittal, Brigitte Barèges was re-elected mayor of Montauban on December 22, 2021, following the resignation of Axel de Labriolle.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-14 |title=Relaxée, Brigitte Barèges peut redevenir maire de Montauban - France Bleu |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/relaxee-brigitte-bareges-peut-retrouver-son-siege-de-maire-de-montauban-1639488260 |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=ici par France Bleu et France 3 |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=Brigitte Barèges relaxée : pas de pourvoi en cassation du parquet |url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/2021/12/20/brigitte-bareges-relaxee-pas-de-pourvoi-en-cassation-du-parquet-10004738.php |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=ladepeche.fr |language=fr}}