There are gestures that do not lie. By inaugurating his electoral headquarters, “Where I started my political engagement, 28 years ago.” (It was the private offices of Jacques Médecin), Olivier Bettati performed a symbolic gesture, and he knows it.
Since that day, a lot of water has flowed under the bridges of the Paillon… Olivier Bettati has been a city councilor for 20 years and a general councilor for 18. The teachings of his mentor have been well put into practice.
Several hundred people (among them the leaders of Modem, quite deaf to the directives of the national leadership despite remonstrances from the local centrist leader, Rudy Salles) attended the occasion to support the one who frequently referred to his passion for Nice.
Has anti-Estrosism found its champion?
This electoral list aims to be a cross-cutting gathering without political labels that brings together people from different backgrounds for candidate Bettati. “Dissidents,” their opponents on both the right and left call them.
In fact, it is composed of people with electoral experience and other novices. They sociologically represent a post-ideological society that searches for and finds itself in common projects and recognizes itself within the territorial perimeter.
Are they sufficiently equipped to face adversaries who are powerfully organized or, at the very least, supported by professional structures?
Will they have enough appeal and credibility to attract at least a part of those who are disinterested, disillusioned, and distanced from politics to the point of not exercising their right (and duty) to vote?
A first response will be given on February 13 at the presentation of the program and list, which could both hold some interesting surprises in terms of candidates, with the youngest already known, Cécile Costiera-Giamarchi (27 years old).
For Benoît Kandel, whose recent journey is well known: “My critique comes from the fact of the mix between local commitment and national ambitions. And then, this communication that, in the end, is an end in itself and serves only the personal image of the Mayor.”
“My gesture of leaving the Socialist Party means that another path is possible to put the situation back on track. I remain a socialist but not with the Socialist Party whose leader aspires to be the opponent of the outgoing Mayor. My involvement in the Bettati list is in the spirit of doing something together to counter this drift and open new horizons,” affirmed Marc Concas.
As for the candidate to succeed Christian Estrosi, he did not miss the chance to criticize the caricatural clientelism of the Estrosi administration and announced, in case of election, measures that will certainly spark discussion, such as requiring deputies to have a profession to avoid career politicians.
Moreover, the city will be divided into 5 districts with a president and decentralized citizen services. The Municipal Police will become a district police to foster contact with the population and prevent delinquency phenomena.
Of course, the tramway tunnel will be archived, and the investment savings (at least 350 million euros) will be directed towards road expenditures, which currently have a very slim budget: 30 million in the budget of the city of Nice and 60 for the entire metropolitan road network.
The Eco-Valley will also need to be reconsidered in a way that does not excessively penalize downtown commerce. Shopping centers will undergo a critical analysis regarding their installation.
Finally, a sensitive issue is housing: a massive sale of housing would allow for a turnover of the existing stock to enable people to live in dignity and generate significant revenues for other investments.
To be continued…
