As the election date approaches, candidates are presenting their arguments. The exchanges are intensifying, and alliances are taking shape. Here is an overview of the news concerning the candidates for the mayor of Nice.
Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux: Call for Unity
Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, head of the list “Unis pour Nice” (United for Nice), sees her campaign take a significant turn with the announcement of support from “APRES,” a movement founded by national figures of the radical left. The clear objective is to unite from the first round to block the far-right.
APRES explains its position. The movement emphasizes its identity, its establishment, and its commitment to broad unity. Its leaders express their desire to extend the spirit of the New Popular Front at the local level. They assert that this unity must prevent division that could facilitate a victory for the alliance around Éric Ciotti.
The movement also discusses the talks held with the two left-wing lists. These exchanges did not succeed, which APRES regrets. Its leaders criticize the strategy of La France Insoumise, deemed too independent. They believe this approach contributes to a dispersal considered risky.
In this context, APRES announces its choice. The movement joins “Unis pour Nice.” It calls for unity from the first round, a condition deemed essential to create a common dynamic. This decision strengthens Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux’s list but also highlights the internal fractures of the local left. The candidate must now turn this support into electoral momentum.
For his part, Julien Picot, departmental secretary of the PCF 06 and number two on the “Unis pour Nice” list, sharply criticizes Éric Ciotti’s strategy of reaching out to left-wing figures. According to him, “when Éric Ciotti, a leading figure of the far-right in France, talks about ‘left-wing people’… for the municipal elections,” it’s “like believing in a bad joke.” He claims it’s a cynical political conversion: “after twenty years of telling us that the left was ruining France, now he’s ready to invent one to save the city hall.” He considers this attempt to “rally the left” unacceptable: “it’s no longer a turn, but a political loop.” For the PCF, this initiative changes nothing: “we neither share his ideas, nor his vision, nor his method.”
Éric Ciotti: An Offensive Campaign and a Non-affiliated List
Éric Ciotti continues his campaign with a strategy centered on breaking away and highlighting new support. He detailed the composition of his future list on BFM Nice Côte d’Azur. He announces a “rallying list,” without any affiliation. He states: “my list will not have a political label.” He also specifies: “on the ballots, there will be no political formation logo. Naturally, there will be the support of the National Rally.”
The candidate describes an open list and mentions personalities from various backgrounds. The deputy expresses his intention to welcome members from centrist parties and even “from the left.” He also discusses the profile of future running mates: police officers, lawyers, magistrates. He confirms the presence of Benoît Kandel, whom he describes as a friend and promises “very important roles.”
Éric Ciotti also seeks a debate with Christian Estrosi, stating he is “ready to debate” and explaining that he already made this proposal two years ago, which is currently refused by the incumbent mayor’s camp. Moreover, he criticizes the political trajectory of the incumbent mayor while asserting that the latter has “profoundly changed his political ideology.”
In an interview on CNEWS, Éric Ciotti revisited a national debate. He describes Christian Estrosi as “the first of the Macronists.” The latter mentioned a conversation with François Fillon regarding the 2017 campaign: “it’s not my conception of honor in politics. I have always fought against the President of the Republic, and I have never voted for him.”
This sequence demonstrates a direct confrontation between the two former allies. It also underscores Ciotti’s strategy of breaking the traditional codes of his camp in an attempt to capture a broader electorate.
Christian Estrosi: The Riposte and Defense of the Security Record
The week was marked by a controversy sparked by remarks from Me Hervé de Surville, a fervent supporter of Éric Ciotti. These remarks targeted Christian Estrosi. The team of the mayor of Nice qualified them as a “serious slip.” The “Tous pour Nice” list led by the incumbent mayor, published a very critical text. The leaders denounce “personal attacks” targeting the mayor. They quote Me de Surville, who writes in particular: “we knew the outgoing mayor was illiterate, we now know he is legally ignorant.” The team demands an apology and calls on Éric Ciotti to condemn these remarks.
The outgoing mayor’s campaign also relies on his first deputy, Anthony Borré. The latter directly attacks the statements of Éric Ciotti and Christelle d’Intorni about security figures. He asserts: “Eric Ciotti and Christelle D’intorni caught red-handed with lies,” disputing the claims that there would be “a stabbing every day in Nice.” The campaign director for Christian Estrosi speaks of a “blatant lie” and recalls the national ranking placing Nice among the safest cities with over 100,000 inhabitants.
Anthony Borré also addressed an open letter to municipal police officers. The first deputy retraces the history of municipal policing since 1961. He responds to criticisms from a member of Éric Ciotti’s team, described as “madam security.” The local executive defends the action of the officers: “all municipal police officers are on the ground and contribute to the security of our city.” He emphasizes the importance of their duties, their role, and the investments made.
In this letter, Anthony Borré highlights the increase in staff, the modernization of equipment, and the mayor’s commitment. This text defends a continuous vision of security and also emphasizes the divergence between the outgoing majority and the Ciotti camp on this central theme.
Mireille Damiano: A Social Speech and Critique of Housing Management
The “Nice Front Populaire” list led by Mireille Damiano continues a campaign focused on social justice. This week, Olivier Salerno defended his positions on BFM Côte d’Azur. The latter criticizes the outgoing mayor’s record: “already, the record of Christian Estrosi is about people who can no longer find housing in Nice.” He talks about a city where access to housing has become difficult: “it is a place where, justifiably, it feels like it’s becoming a giant tourist accommodation.”
He affirms that “the damage is done” and criticizes the level of social housing and conditions in some buildings. Olivier Salerno describes the housing as “dilapidated, damp,” before announcing a plan to implement a proactive policy to increase the proportion of social housing and renovate existing buildings. He points out what he describes as a gap between official communications and the reality on the ground.
The unitary referent for La France Insoumise in the Alpes-Maritimes also discusses his list’s political position. He asserts that Christian Estrosi and Éric Ciotti have “strictly the same mindset, adding: for us, it’s neither one nor the other.” An important point for the rest of the campaign, he confirmed that the list will remain for the second round if it qualifies and announces the intention to represent a leftist alternative.
Olivier Salerno also describes the support committee that is forming, which was mentioned last week. He claims that Nice has been a “reactionary laboratory” and wishes to make it “a laboratory for a shift.” This discourse places Mireille Damiano’s campaign on an ideologically committed ground, focused on social transformation.
Nathalie Dloussky: Sovereign Relaunch and the RIC as Method
The candidate from “Ensemble pour la Grandeur de la France,” Nathalie Dloussky, has developed her campaign program focused on economic sovereignty this week. It presents a severe diagnosis of the national and local situation, describing Nice’s debt, weak growth, and declining production.
She proposes a local recovery strategy aimed at increasing Nice’s GDP by 1 to 2%. This strategy involves investing 50 million euros annually, decided by a citizen-initiated referendum. The program features detailed charts, sector-specific measures, and a precise timeline. It announces 5,000 jobs created, a reduction in unemployment, and an impact on delinquency.
Nathalie Dloussky describes Nice as a future “national laboratory.” The program insists on direct democracy, transparency, and citizen control and also addresses the national political crisis while advocating for a local response. The text criticizes the “hyper-centralized power” and calls for citizen mobilization. It points out budgetary irregularities denounced in Nice and stresses the need for enhanced democratic control.
The candidate emphasizes the RIC as a central tool. The program describes a citizen decision process. It also details participatory workshops and the necessity for rigor, transparency alongside democratic renewal. This approach aims to establish the candidacy as a systemic alternative.
