Georges Frêche, the President of the Agglomeration* of Montpellier and President of the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, is well known for his “controversial” moments in the spotlight. After expulsion from the Parti Socialiste in 2007, having observed an “elevated proportion” of black players in the national football team, he insulted a (Jewish) socialist leader Laurent Fabius saying “I’d have to think twice before voting for him, he has an un-catholic face.”

Now, he’s revealed a new project for Montpellier, a series of statues from around the town of historical figures.

Georges Frêche and Vladimir Lenin

The bronze statues of 3.3 metres weighing between 850kg and a tonne include Jean Jaurès (the French left winger who founded l’Humanité newspaper), Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Franklin Roosevelt and Lenin. They will be officially inaugurated in mid-September.

Ten statues have been commissioned in total. Gandhi, Golda Meir, Gamal Nasser, Mao and Mandela should be ready at the end of 2011.

Despite the obvious criticisms to some of the more politically sensitive choices, the opposition in Montpellier has criticised mainly the cost of the operation, estimated at 200,000 euros a piece). The Greens have even threatened to unbolt the statues.

My personal PS contacts have additionally informed me that Frêche also ordered a statue of Stalin… the sculptor refused.

*The “Agglomeration” is a sort of political body for an urban community.