Transition of leadership at the Regional Council where Renaud Muselier succeeds Christian Estrosi, who, elected in December 2015, resigned to resume his position as Mayor of Nice (while incidentally retaining that of 1st Vice-President).
At 58 years old, a former deputy and minister, Renaud Muselier has been a European Parliament member since 2014 and, as deputy president alongside Christian Estrosi, he managed relations with community institutions.
So, just a mere game of musical chairs?
Being militants in the same party, the two men are de facto allies, with a common interest: after reclaiming the regional community after three terms under Michel Vauzelle, their policy will be to benefit the two cities that represent their electoral interests.
Moreover, Christian Estrosi has never hidden his desire to shift the balance and end the superiority attitude of the Marseille people towards the azure capital. The budgetary allocations over these 18 months following his election against FN candidate Marion Le Pen point towards a sort of compensation for so many years of lean times.
Now, at least apparently, they are in the buddy-buddy phase, and Renaud Muselier and Christian Estrosi are also allied in a policy of openness towards the new President of the Republic. For memory, Renaud Muselier, along with a large number of regional councilors and local officials, was among the signatories of the motion, which Christian Estrosi was one of the promoters, requesting François Fillon to withdraw his presidential candidacy. The rest is history.
The presence among the guests of Minister Christophe Castaner, a socialist candidate in the 2015 regional election, whose withdrawal in the second round allowed the republican coalition that was the basis for success against Marion Le Pen, doesn’t it also indicate, aside from a certain personal closeness, an “in pectore” institutional alliance between him and the new Regional President?
In his speech, Renaud Muselier set the course: “I will be a President organizing constructive debates while rejecting caricature and excess.”
