As the municipal elections rapidly approach, the UMP has yet to choose its favorite for the upcoming Nice ballot. Jacques Peyrat, the outgoing mayor, has already announced he will be running for re-election after his two consecutive terms. The completion of the tramway works and a second term more balanced than the first could serve as a foundation for Jacques Peyrat, who might even run without the endorsement of his party. After all, it was with a Divers Droite label that the Nice lawyer won the 1995 municipal election against the outgoing RPR mayor, Jean-Paul Barety.
And if the endorsement were not given to Jacques Peyrat, who would benefit from it?
The first favorite, and the one favored by some UMP militants, is none other than Christian Estrosi. The strongman of the Alpes-Maritimes Department and Minister of the Overseas Departments and Territories could well respond to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s invitation, who is keen for France’s major cities to be governed by a Mayor from his party. Christian Estrosi has a comprehensive political trajectory with positions such as municipal councilor during the Médecin era, Regional Councilor from 1992 to 2002, General Councilor from 1985 to 2003 where he eventually became president, Member of Parliament from 1988 to the present (with a break from 1993 to 1997), and finally joining François Fillon’s second government as Minister of the Overseas Departments and Territories after serving as Minister of Regional Development in the De Villepin government.
Besides these two key figures, other outsiders might take advantage of this duel under the sun to secure a ticket to the municipal contest. Jean-Auguste Icart could be one of them, this General Councilor already declared a potential candidate with the sole label “Nice,” does not rule out the possibility of enhancing his candidacy with a UMP endorsement.
Eric Ciotti, the right-hand man of Christian Estrosi and new Deputy of the first Nice constituency, could also enter the race if his mentor ultimately decides not to engage personally in the municipal race. These two men are close to Christian Estrosi and, like the Minister of the Overseas Departments and Territories, Jacques Peyrat also has his assets in case of stepping down. Juliana Chichmanian and Agnès Rampal could be two prime candidates with significant experience in managing the City of Nice, on which they have worked for many years.
In short, enough is enough, the cup is almost full, and the Parisian UMP will face a difficult, if not Sarkozy-like, choice when opening the Nice file. We will likely have to wait until October, or even November, to know the identity of the candidate who will attempt to defend the Nice stronghold, which almost swung to the left in the last election as only 3,524 votes separated Jacques Peyrat from his Socialist opponent Patrick Mottard.
The countdown has truly begun, and it would take a clever mind to predict today who the UMP candidate will be tomorrow!
