The mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, and president of the Bordeaux Métropole, raised the possibility of a "financial guardianship" for the local authority's budget on Thursday. This idea follows similar concerns expressed last June about the city's financial health. A financial guardianship would involve the regional audit chamber (CRC) being involved by the prefect, who could then suggest a restructuring plan, potentially including budget cuts or tax increases. Cazenave called the situation "unprecedented" for the metropolitan area, stating that no other similar regions face the same challenges. He referenced an audit by EY, which found an "extreme debt" of 2.3 billion euros and a debt reduction capacity of 19.2 years, surpassing the alert threshold of 12 years. He criticized the previous administration, led by socialists Alain Anziani and Christine Bost, for an "excessive growth in operating expenses compared to the pace of revenues" and an increase in payroll by 77 million euros, including the creation of 500 positions. Cazenave warned that without significant changes by 2027, investment revenues would not be enough to cover debt charges, potentially leading to financial guardianship by state services. Financial guardianship can be triggered by an unbalanced budget, an excessive deficit (at least 5% of operating revenues), or failure to vote a budget within deadlines. If the CRC is involved by the prefect, it can recommend a restructuring plan, though the prefect may choose to follow or disregard these recommendations. In any case, all subsequent budgetary acts would be reviewed by the CRC. Financial guardianship is rare for large local authorities, but recent cases include the Aix-Marseille metropolitan area, which was placed under guardianship last spring after a budget shortfall of 123 million euros, and the Charente department in 2025. The Gironde department had also come close to financial guardianship at the end of 2025. Cazenave has submitted the matter to the prefect and the regional public finance directorate for an assessment of the metropolitan area's financial situation. He has also tasked vice-president Emmanuel Sallaberry with drafting a large-scale savings plan. The metropolitan area aims to achieve 182 million euros in management savings by 2033, with 72 million euros by 2027. Cazenave acknowledged the "difficult situation" but stated it is "not as catastrophic as we are being presented," noting that the 72 million euros in savings by 2027 represent 6% of the budget.