15 years to the day after his election as mayor of the azure capital.
After a professional motorcycling career, Christian Estrosi began his political career in his hometown in 1983 at the age of 28 with his election as a municipal councilor (and then deputy for sports) under Jacques Médecin.
After 6 years in this position, he embarked on a departmental political career (Director of the departmental committee of the RPR federation; Deputy then President of the General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes) which led him to work on the regional level (successively as Councilor, Vice-president then President of the PACA region). Subsequently, Christian Estrosi held various national-level positions under the governments of Dominique de Villepin (as Deputy Minister for Regional Development) and François Fillon (as Secretary of State for Overseas Territories and then as Minister in charge of industry).
In October 2007, Christian Estrosi returned to the forefront in Nice, announcing his candidacy for the mayor’s office in Nice. In the second round of the municipal election, on March 16, 2008, he came first with 41.33% of the vote, against Patrick Allemand (PS) and the outgoing mayor, Jacques Peyrat (Miscellaneous Right). He was officially elected mayor of Nice by the new Municipal Council on March 21, 2008. Candidate for a new mandate as mayor in the 2014 municipal elections, his list again came first in the second round with 48.61% of the votes. From June 2016 to May 2017, he was forced by the accumulation of mandates to hand over his mayoral sash to Philippe Pradal. Eleven months and two days after his resignation, he regained his position as chief magistrate.
Already looking towards the 2026 municipal elections, Estrosi will surely be a candidate for a third term. The management and outcome of certain projects like the demolition of Acropolis, the extension of the Paillon, the expansion of the Tram, or the development of the Mathis road will weigh heavily in the balance.
