On the sidelines of the Metropolitan Council session, a press briefing allowed the two presidents (Christian Estrosi for the Metropolis and Eric Ciotti for the Departmental Council) to publicly present the agreement reached for the transfer of powers between the two institutions following the implementation of the NOTRe law, which reforms the competences of local authorities.
Before the law mandates it from January 1, 2017, an agreement was reached after negotiation, and the Metropolis will exercise, from that day, three new competences in place of the Department.
In fact, these are minor delegations that do not change the nature of things: the granting of aid under the housing solidarity fund, aid to young people in difficulty, and specialized prevention actions for young people and families in difficulty or estranged from their environment.
In total, about ten agents will be transferred to the Metropolis from the Department, along with the reimbursement of the resulting financial costs. A small operation that was voted on yesterday by the Metropolitan Council and will be today by the Departmental Council.
An operation that did not justify the emphasis given to it but served the two protagonists to show their good relations following recent controversies about a discord between the two strongmen of the departmental right, who recently showed opposing positions on several points.
Particularly, the local election of the president and the constituency delegates strained relations between the two “stables,” each trying to position itself well in anticipation of the 2017 legislative elections.
Finally, the budgetary deliberation season once again highlighted the differences: the “cicadas,” the municipalities of Nice and the Metropolis, present increasingly significant deficits, barely masked by investment policies and difficult to control, while the departmental “ant” implements a debt stabilization policy and even plans actions to reduce it.
An exchange of letters between the two entities allowed Eric Ciotti to remind Christian Estrosi that during his term as president of the General Council, from 2003 to 2008, the deficit increased by 800% (!), and he should focus on addressing it rather than financing the works of tramway line 2.
A not quite flattering remark to which, yesterday at the Departmental Council, Christian Estrosi indirectly responded during a reply to Paul Cuturello’s intervention, by reminding in turn that “at the time, his chief of staff had assumed it without criticism,” before listing the numerous investments made.
But, but… In politics, reversals of situation are like daily bread, and our two brave individuals were all smiles to showcase their… rekindled good understanding.
Did a little bird (of good or bad omen?) pass by to whisper a few words (more or less sweet?) into the ear of the president of the Departmental Council?
