Nice Premium: Céline Lacroix, you have just joined Patrick Mottard’s team for the upcoming municipal elections. How would you define this choice?
Céline Lacroix: It is always the choice of a man and his project that motivates my political commitment. Patrick Mottard’s experience, his positions in the municipal council, his ideas for Nice, and his political courage convinced me of his loyal and effective commitment to Nice and the people of Nice.
NP: You were a MoDem candidate in the last legislative elections in Nice. What motivated the choice of a list without a real label?
CL: As a candidate from civil society, meaning a citizen measuring the importance of political commitment, I do not choose a party and its “structure”, I commit to shared values, a demand for transparency, and a real willingness and capacity for political action, serving all citizens.
NP: In your opinion, what are the positive aspects of your list?
CL: Having a project for the city of Nice that is ambitious and achievable, carrying essential values, affirming that social projects and economic programs are not opposed, and mobilizing men and women who share the same desire for change and the same willingness to act.
NP: Although Hervé Caël is best placed, MoDem has not yet definitively chosen its candidate. Do you think a MoDem candidacy is the best solution for Nice?
CL: The process of endorsements and party candidacies appeared to me as a hindrance to the work and investment of candidates in the field. As a Democrat, I support pluralism, and as a citizen, I have chosen to effectively oppose national and regional policies that do not suit me.
NP: Allemand, Estrosi, Mottard, Peyrat, Salles, Picard… the municipal election scene in Nice will be competitive. What does it inspire in you, and how do you imagine the election rounds?
CL: We are still far from the first round of voting, and more or less expected shifts or alliances are still possible… Again, I do not hold great regard for this type of practice; I prefer the firm and transparent positioning of Patrick Mottard, who, because he now has the freedom to do so, will not engage in name-bargaining just to have them on a list.
NP: Finally, what are Céline Lacroix’s goals for these 2008 municipal elections?
CL: To support, promote, and advance a project that will reconcile politics and citizens, ensure transparent management for our city, and maintain the imperative of serving the interests of all people from Nice, both native and adopted, by supporting Patrick Mottard’s project within a dynamic and motivated team.
