He had announced it and he is going to do it: Gaël Nofri will be the lead candidate for Debout la France, the sovereigntist party, for the regional elections in PACA on December 6 and 13.
A young firebrand of the local political scene, he will not fail to add a bit of spice to a sometimes stereotypical debate between the “elephants” of traditional parties.
The opportunity to meet him and learn a bit more…
Nice-Premium: After the FN and shifting to a civic movement, you joined Debout la République: is this party set to establish itself in Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes in a stable and organized manner, benefiting from a large right-wing electorate?
Gaël Nofri: I have always been on the right and deeply independent-minded. I do not believe in the logic of parties. Political parties are tools at the service of the common good, they should not become autonomous entities operating for electoral and partisan interests rather than the public good.
I became involved with Rassemblement Bleu Marine in the hope of contributing to the birth of a true alliance of patriots. Today, I realize this hope was an illusion because the Front National is a family enterprise that does not allow for such a gathering. Moreover, the arrival of identitarians, a racialist, Europeanist, and regionalist movement, constituted a true ideological breaking point for me. This is not patriotism, not sovereigntism… it’s not even on the right anymore.
My joining Debout La France is the continuation of this fight for the formation of a real alternative bringing together the patriotic right. The work will be long but necessary because we must rediscover the spirit of the 1978 Cochin appeal, the same that inspired the Pasqua-Villiers list in 1999.
Nice-Premium: In the long term, do you intend to maintain your independence or do you think it’s better to be part of the galaxy of parties and movements allied with LR?
Gaël Nofri: My independence is not up for discussion, nor is that of Debout La France and Nicolas Dupont Aignan. The question of an alliance raises the issue of the bases of this alliance, whereas we have fundamentally different bases: defending the nation-state and the desire to restore the authority of the state undermined by thirty years of globalism, Europeanism, and laxity. Les Républicains are not on that foundation, at least at the national and international levels. Locally, the question is a bit different, where the demand for good management and administration of local authorities comes into play. Being an ally might be possible. But too many politicians act like local barons, poor managers, only seeking submissive supporters instead of vigilant, free, and independent allies.
Nice-Premium: The regional elections are approaching… Do you confirm your candidacy and the presence of DLR lists in all the other departments of PACA?
Gaël Nofri: I can indeed confirm that there will be, for all voters in Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur, the possibility to vote for our list Debout La France. The lead candidate is my friend Noël Chuisano, a true Provençal – nobody’s perfect! –. He is a man from civil society, a new man who will carry a new project.
In the Alpes Maritimes, I will indeed be the head of a young and dynamic team, with different profiles: civil society, local elected officials, the associative world, we all want to propose hope in the face of the failure of this political staff in place for 40 years who saw nothing, understood nothing, did nothing to prevent the situation we are in today.
Nice-Premium: What will be the main themes of your campaign?
Gaël Nofri: We must put our territory at the service of employment by promoting sectors with strong opportunities for the youth of PACA who wish to live and work in this area. This involves ensuring consultation between the world of vocational and technical education and that of business to prioritize the development of job-creating sectors.
For our azure territory, we will support and push for the reorientation of the Plaine du Var National Interest Operation which should be an opportunity to find new momentum by providing France with a true high-performing hub bringing together cutting-edge companies in the green economy sector. Similarly, we will support the development of agriculture, craftsmanship, and small businesses that constitute one of the main assets of this region by setting up efficient yet stringent installation aids. Moreover, we will promote short supply chains in food and fragmented and simplified public markets to benefit local TPE and SMEs.
Our region must also be de-isolated, the modernization of the railway network must be a priority. Whether it’s the SNCF network or the Provence’s railway network, it’s outdated, necessary investments are no longer being made, and some lines are now threatened. The priority is to maintain existing lines to ensure effective territorial development, territorial equity, and equal access to public services, convinced that an accessible territory is a valued one. Energy security of the PACA region is a major issue: producing only 30% of its consumption, PACA must secure its supply. Investments are planned but much remains to be done. We will make this issue a priority because it also conditions our economic development. At the same time, we will launch a campaign in favor of photovoltaics, particularly in high schools, with the goal by the end of the mandate of having a third of the buildings energy-autonomous.
Furthermore, even though security is not a primary competence of the region, we must tackle this issue which is the priority of our compatriots and which also ties into other issues (transport, economic development, tourism, and high school). Today, our region is frightening. The two most crime-ridden cities in France are in PACA: Marseille and Nice. We want realistic solutions, within the legal framework, unlike those who claim to ignore realities.
Thus, the Regional Council’s mission is to co-finance the equipment of Municipal and National Police; we will support, to the best of our financial abilities, requests directly related to the safety of property and persons. We will prioritize funding for a large CCTV plan on trains and stations in PACA, places particularly poorly frequented and crime-ridden to the point of deterring many users from using public transport. Special attention will be paid to the safety of high schools and their surroundings to avoid extortion, trafficking, and insecurity. A video surveillance plan will be developed there, and each high school will undergo security monitoring by the Region in coordination with municipal authorities, as well as the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office to ensure their security.
Finally, our priority must be to change the way we do politics by returning to sound financial management.
After 18 years of socialism, the coffers of the PACA Region are empty. The debt reaches 2.2 billion Euros, or 100% of the total annual budget, even though necessary investments have not been made. The operating budget is colossal (1.5 billion, up 14% for just the year 2014). This phenomenon is due to a clientelist policy where the hiring of apparatchiks and subsidies to associations are burdening the Region’s budget.
To address this, a true regional economic plan should be developed: a 15% reduction in operating expenses during the mandate (-2.5% per year) by decreasing the payroll and reducing general means; an overhaul of the subsidy system to associations…
Finally, we will not raise taxes because our program is to promise less, to spend less; spending according to revenues and not taxing according to projects, here’s a real political revolution.
Nice-Premium: In the second round, will you call for votes for Christian Estrosi whom you fiercely oppose in the Nice Municipal Council and the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Council?
Gaël Nofri: Ah, there’s a good question! And have you asked him if he plans to call for votes for me?
