The final plenary session of this mandate has sounded the death knell for this territorial collectivity in its current form. Indeed, following the reform currently being defined, it will lose competencies to the benefit of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and the PACA Regional Council, eventually moving into the historical archives.
Today: 52 elected officials, many of whom are men. There are only eight female councilors. Tomorrow: The upcoming two-round election, on March 22 and 29, will require perfect parity, with 27 male departmental elected officials and 27 female ones.
The turnover will be significant: more than half of the current officials will not stand for re-election.
There was a single point of discussion in a chamber not inclined to pay much attention to debates, as everyone was busy with their correspondence or texting friends: the departmental president’s proposal to initiate litigation with another collectivity.
Eric Ciotti is not about to give up, at least formally, launching a legal and political attack against government and regional policies.
In a one-man show worthy of the best propaganda, both were torn apart by analyses and recommendations that could be summed up with the phrase: “o sancta simplicitas,” give him the magic wand, and every problem will be solved.
The theme was the participation or not of the General Council in negotiating and signing the State-Regions 2015-2020 agreement.
Largely unsatisfied with the reduction in state transfers to local authorities, Eric Ciotti called for the opposition to support his steadfast determination to bend Michel Vauzelle and his team by leveraging the unity of the department against Marseille’s arrogance, an argument that always resonates with the proud spirits of the Azur region.
Of course, the reduction of state subsidies was anticipated, but its magnitude (-16%) leaves one speechless and makes arbitration between funding requests from local projects and their financing difficult, if not impossible.
Indeed, from the Canebière side, they often look condescendingly and sometimes disdainfully at these Azurites who break the eggs in the basket.
In fact, the accusation against the Regional Council of “refusing to support the economic, social, and cultural development of our department” – as Eric Ciotti said – is the result of his contentious relationship with the outgoing president, socialist Michel Vauzelle (the two can’t stand each other).
Moreover, many current roles and future ambitions are intertwined in Eric Ciotti’s actions: when one is a right-wing man (and what a right!) against a left-wing one, when one is a politician on the rise (as they say now) against one in a declining phase.
Finally, when you are president (soon to be reconfirmed) of a departmental collectivity fighting to defend its prerogatives against another territorial collectivity aspiring to inherit a good portion, the relations between the two representatives are likely to be complicated.
Even more so when you are a candidate in pectore for the presidency of the very institution that is currently your counterweight!
So every argument is valid, every situation is useful for politicking with electoral aims! And knowing Eric Ciotti, we can hardly doubt that everything is well-calculated with him, down to the last comma.
So hearing from his mouth expressions like: “constructive dialogue” and “consultation,” it pleases but mainly amuses…
Moreover, how else to interpret the threat of not signing the State-PACA contract and of participating in the co-financing of projects concerning the Alpes-Maritimes on a case-by-case basis but as playing a disruptive role, as an uncompromising opponent with the consent of an increasingly radicalized electorate that favors frankly right-wing positions?
The debate was a monologue by President Eric Ciotti, in which the socialist Vinciguerra and communist Tujague courageously and boldly attempted to oppose;
The vote result was unsurprising, as the UMP advisers (mere shadows during the session but loyal executors when needed) had no difficulty ensuring the minimum service.
