Audit reveals dysfunctional management at Comédie de Genève; calls for leadership changes

A scathing audit report has exposed deep-seated governance issues at the Comédie de Genève, labeling its managing foundation as "dysfunctional." The Court of Auditors, in its findings presented on August 21, highlighted that the foundation's statutes, largely unchanged since 1979, are obsolete, inconsistent, and fail to meet modern governance standards.

The audit also cast a critical eye on the Department of Culture and Digital Transition, overseen by administrative councilor Joëlle Bertossa. The Court noted that the department's surveillance objectives, priorities, and performance indicators for the foundation are inadequately defined, particularly lacking financial dimensions. This suggests a failure in providing robust oversight necessary for the theater's effective operation.

In response to these findings, an opinion piece published in Le Temps argues for decisive action to address the crisis. The author, municipal councilor Michèle Roullet, calls for the revocation of the foundation's president, Philippe Juvet, and for the oversight of the Comédie to be transferred away from Joëlle Bertossa. Roullet suggests these personnel changes are crucial for achieving calm after the "storm" that has reportedly tarnished the reputation of both the theater and the city of Geneva.

The situation at the Comédie de Genève underscores a broader challenge in cultural institutions: ensuring that governance structures remain relevant and that oversight bodies are equipped with clear mandates and effective tools. The audit's findings and the subsequent calls for leadership changes point to a critical juncture for the theater, with significant implications for its future artistic and financial stability.

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the objectives, surveillance priorities and performance indicators are not sufficiently defined and do not integrate the financial dimension.