During a press conference held at the Nice town hall, the president of the “Changer d’รจre” group, Patrick Allemand (PS), criticized mayor Christian Estrosi (UMP) this Wednesday. The issue: Nice’s public spending, which the vice-president of the Paca region considers excessive. With these criticisms, the local socialist leader, decidedly in high spirits at the moment, contrasts two regional funding measures he deems of “social utility” (see inset).
The bill for the 19th “Femmes en or” trophies, which will take place in Nice from September 16 to 18, is steep: 394,000 euros! This amount annoys the president of the “Changer d’รจre” group, Patrick Allemand, against the city’s mayor: “(Christian Estrosi) hypes up big events, but there’s nothing behind it.”.
The event, organized by the agency Havas Sports and sponsored by companies, is very costly. However, it is completely unknown to the general public. Nevertheless, the hors d’oeuvres alone represent a budget of… 65,000 euros. That is two-thirds of the envelope allocated for organizing the “Festival Off” (110,000 euros).
Allemand wants to alert the people of Nice
“We are going to alert public opinion. We cannot continue to have bogus policies,” promises Patrick Allemand, somewhat irritated. Frรฉdรฉrique Grรฉgoire-Concas, a municipal councilor, is on the same wavelength. She even equates these expenses to “waste.”
This extravagance, according to the socialist vice-president of the Paca region, reminds him of the 300,000 euros given by the city of Nice to the Restos du Cลur, on the occasion of the Enfoirรฉs’ visit. That said, only 20,000 euros were sent back to the food bank. This paltry amount frightens the “Changer d’รจre” team, which accuses Christian Estrosi of “copying his program.”
