Nice Premium: Hervé Caël, you are the UDF Modem candidate in the 1st district of Nice. Can you introduce yourself to the readers of NP?
Hervé Caël: 46 years old, 2 children, head doctor of an emergency department in a downtown clinic, engaged in community, union, and public life since the beginning of my medical studies in Nice. Those who know me will not be surprised by my candidacy. Indeed, I remember as a young medical student, walking into a parliamentary office at Place Garibaldi, that of Charles Ehrmann, UDF deputy for the first district of Nice… My candidacy today is a logical extension of this commitment under the label of the UDF Democratic Movement (MoDem) of François BAYROU.
NP: Initially, Philippe Soussi was the likely candidate. Why did this change in your favor?
HC: Philippe Soussi chose to withdraw his candidacy in the first district; it’s his choice and I respect it. In this election, I will form a team with Martine DUBUS who has agreed to stand alongside me as a substitute.
NP: What is your plan up to the day of the first round?
HC: A program marked by urgency! Working in the clinic and on the ground to convince, convince, and convince some more.
NP: You are deeply entrenched in the local medical community. Can you comment on the situation in Nice and in the 06?
HC: Residents of the French Riviera are not yet aware of the magnitude of the difficulties we might face in the coming years regarding health: a shortage of doctors (particularly marked in certain specialties), medical desertification of some rural areas, challenges in organizing on-call duties, access to healthcare, and control of health expenses which are perilously tilting towards financial rationing… The Alpes-Maritimes, and particularly Nice, benefit from a particularly broad medical offering. National measures have been taken but it takes 10 to 15 years to train a doctor…
NP: You are also involved in the local press. How are you going to manage all this?
HC: The free magazine Vivre Nice and its website (www.vivrenice.com) that I run represent, along with my political involvement, two aspects of my engagement in the life of Nice. I do not mix genres but try to lead these two exciting activities simultaneously.
NP: What would be your greatest qualities and your minor flaws?
HC: Ask my acquaintances… but not right now!!
NP: Allemand, Rivière, Ciotti… You are going up against some big names. Your stance on this challenge?
HC: I am not running against Patrick Allemand, Jérôme Rivière, or Eric Ciotti. I am entering this debate, this electoral competition without complexes.
NP: Who do you think will be present in the second round?
HC: This election could hold some surprises…
NP: Lastly, if you had to summarize your program in a few lines?
HC: This election dictates the reforms for the next five years and the democratic life of our country. It is essential to vigorously address several themes defended by François Bayrou during the presidential election:
– Prioritize education as a national concern.
– Allow the creation of two jobs in each company without charges.
– Increase purchasing power (Raise the minimum old-age pension and small pensions to 90% of the SMIC, pay 35% more for overtime than the normal hour).
– Rebalance public finances and reduce debt.
– Reform the state.
– Reinvigorate the Europe of citizens (write a new, short Constitution understandable by all and submit it to the French people through a referendum).
– Fight against exclusion and ensure that returning to work is financially more beneficial than receiving benefits.
– Implement the proposals of Nicolas Hulot’s Ecological Pact.
– Reform pensions through negotiation with social partners.
– Uphold public morality.
– Ensure security for all (Create a dedicated police force close to the ground and neighborhoods, penalize from the first offense, and generalize the immediate obligation of restitution to the victim)…
You will find all these proposals gradually during the campaign on my website www.herve-cael.com
