Despite the protocol signed in 2010 between the Ministry of Sports and the City of Nice, which planned for the installation of the National Sports Museum (currently in Paris) within the framework of the new Grand Stade de Saint-Isidore, a standoff has emerged between the government and the city on the French Riviera.
The City of Nice and its partner in the PPP contract (Vinci Construction) were supposed to handle the construction of the premises, with the State covering the costs of making them available. In terms of numbers: 8.8 million euros for the first phase (construction) and 7.9 million euros for the layout.
No problem then, except that with the change of parliamentary majority, the new government, in this case, the Minister of Sports, denounced a real “hole” that his predecessor would have left him as a heritage compared to the commitments made: 50 million euros!
The aftermath: A halt to all spending whose budget coverage is not planned or possible and very strict arbitrations… In short, little sympathy for cities and dossiers suspected of “favoritism” by the previous government.
Unfortunately, this is the case for Nice and this project to relocate the National Sports Museum to integrate it into the new Nice Allianz Arena!
Today, the Mayor of Nice defends himself, but there is a memory of his “pressing” towards his friend and then Minister of Sports, Bernard Laporte, for Nice to be the future location of this museum and the legitimate satisfaction, within the framework of a conference by the same Bernard Laporte at the UNS Valrose Campus, which Christian Estrosi displayed on this occasion.
The National Sports Museum can be both an important symbol of the history of French sports and also an interesting economic vector if a marketing strategy is implemented: Is it too much to suggest taking an example from what is being done around the world, such as in Barcelona?
The dispute between the City and the Ministry of Sports must find a reasonable outcome: The Ministry’s latest proposal (An advance of 4.5 million euros from the investment by the City and the concessionaire and repayment of the capital in annual installments over 9 years from 2015) was rejected by the Municipal Council during the budget approval session for 2013.
But negotiations are ongoing, and despite the evident pleasure of the Mayor of Nice, strong in his right of the legal value of a duly signed protocol (“pacta sunt servanda,” recites one of the pillars of Roman law at the base of the civil code of countries like France) to create difficulties for an enemy Minister, an agreement will and “must” be found in the interest of both parties.
Meanwhile, it is good that Bernard Laporte has returned to his real profession, that of a sports manager for a rugby club. Unfortunately, his successors, who did no better than him in this public office, did not have the same reflex and can still be heard speaking on national sports topics and files.
To tell us what? How can one handle files without planning their funding? We are indeed talking about the National Sports Museum here, not Sunday cycle touring!
Photo Credit: www.nice.fr
