On Saturday, May 25, the opposition group “Changer d’ère” will organize a “citizen vote” on the proposed underground route of tramway line 2 by Christian Estrosi.
The use of popular consultation is not very common in France, whereas our Swiss neighbors commonly use it to validate or not sometimes minor issues. In Italy, voters, under certain conditions (favorable opinion from the Constitutional Court and participation of at least 50% of the electorate), can repeal laws passed by Parliament.
The socialist initiative is a first that does not have legislative value, but a success of the initiative could have political weight and would give legitimacy to the opposition to the project of the municipal majority, which remains pending while waiting for the ruling of the Administrative Tribunal, following the appeal proposed by associations and supported by some politicians beyond their party or political movement affiliations.
39 polling stations will be available to the people of Nice. The Socialist Party is counting on at least 3,000 voters, a number that would give weight to this consultation.
Patrick Allemand, head of the municipal opposition, explains the reasons and objectives of this initiative.
Why organize this citizen vote?
The tramway line 2 project is the most important project for the future of Nice. It is essential in terms of urban planning and development of the city, but also financially. In 5 years, Christian Estrosi has tripled the debt of Nice-Côte d’Azur, which now exceeds one billion euros. We can no longer afford just anything. Financially, the underground he proposes is totally irresponsible. It would ruin the city. It would mean a massive increase in local taxes and a halt to all major investments for 15 years, including other tram lines we need.
Europe Ecologie and its elected representative Mari-Luz Nicaise Hernandez share the same analysis, which is why it is Changer d’Ere that is organizing this consultation. We proposed an alternative surface route that remains debatable, amendable. It would initially stop at Jean Médecin and allow, thanks to its cost, the tramway to serve by 2025, Ariane, La Trinité, the Riquier station, and the grand stadium. I asked the mayor to organize a referendum on the underground route. He refused. That’s why we decided to consult the people of Nice through this citizen vote. The future of Nice cannot be decided without its residents.
How will it happen?
It will take place all day on Saturday, May 25, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. We will set up polling stations in all districts of Nice to allow Niois registered on the electoral lists to vote for or against the underground by putting their ballot in a box. About 300 people will be mobilized to organize this vote, militants, of course, and also many volunteers not affiliated with a political party but who recognize this exercise in local democracy.
What are your objectives?
The political objective is to allow the expression of the popular will that the mayor does not want to hear. We will show that unlike what the municipal majority announces, this project is far from being consensual. It persists in proposing a very costly and very uncertain project technically. From an arithmetic point of view, we would be satisfied with at least 3,000 voters. That would give real credibility to our approach and the result obtained.
It is also a moment of truth in several sectors, where we will see, depending on participation and the result, whether the virulence of the opposition really reflected the general will of the locals or if it was just approaches relaying personal or political interests. For example, no one would understand low participation at the Port of Nice bureau, or at Garibaldi, as well as at the Wilson post office or on Boulevard Victor Hugo. This vote will therefore be a large-scale test in many respects.
