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We are halfway through the term, and Christian Estrosi’s strategy must begin to take into account the outlook for the 2020 election, which promises to be difficult if Eric Ciotti participates and secures the endorsement of Les Républicains. His closeness with the likely future party president Laurent Wauquiez and his rise in the party’s hierarchy suggest such a scenario.
Moreover, wasn’t this the tactic used by Christian Estrosi to unseat former mayor Jacques Peyrat in 2008?
Christian Estrosi has paved the way: a reorganization of the municipal machinery that must better target the expectations of an electorate whose moods and expectations are poorly understood.
The political line is clear: “We are united and together at the service of the people of Nice, with a view to being effective for them, and our partisan choices are of no use here.” And then, “That is why we must adapt, adapt our governance, adapt our projects, adapt our strategies,” stated the mayor of Nice.
Furthermore, “it began with our administration, […], it was followed by my cabinet, […], it continued with a redistribution of tasks within the majority, […], it will soon conclude with a similarly necessary adaptation of the delegations of our metropolis.”
Everything has been said.
“But why,” asks the mayor of Nice himself?
“To address four major objectives, such that the people of Nice expect to see them achieved by 2020: proximity, ecology, living together, Generations,” Christian Estrosi stated with the faith of a televangelist.
And let’s get to the facts of a City Council that has not abandoned its “marathon” label (question: is it really impossible to better organize the work to avoid the current chaos and make meetings more efficient?).
Firstly, formalities require that the City Council confirmed the already announced decision during a recent press conference regarding the resignations of Senator Dominique Estrosi Sassone and MP Marine Brenier from their executive roles due to the enforcement of the multiple office rule and their replacement by Anne Ramos (ranked 4th) and Emmanuelle Bihar (ranked 24th).
The two national elected officials do not abandon their local political role. They are appointed Vice Presidents of the majority municipal group. Additionally, Senator DES remains the leader of the territorial housing policy as she will retain the presidency of this commission at the Metropolitan Council, which will increasingly be the center of control for this sector. Needless to say, she will be the inspirer of all the most important decisions.
Martine Bernier, considered a protégée of Christian Estrosi, has been entrusted with the presidency of the 1st Youth Assembly, one of the strategic points for the next three years.
Beyond the fine words that will be heard and the programmatic documents that often remain at the stage of good intentions, why not address the core issue: encourage the presence of young people in institutional bodies, promote their participation in the management of public policies with a simple and concrete proposal: a quota of 30% of young people under 30 on Christian Estrosi’s next electoral list.
Another update: the diverse right-wing group comprising Olivier Bettati and Benoît Kandel has formalized its switch to the national CNIP party, which in the last presidential elections had called for voting for Marine Le Pen. These elected officials remain within the domain of the National Front, Olivier Bettati is registered with this group in the PACA Regional Council, but they do not sit with Marie-Christine Arnautu in the Nice City Council.
Beyond these convoluted formulations, according to the so-called well-informed, they are said to be the spearheads of Eric Ciotti in preparing his candidacy for the 2020 municipal elections.
As they would say at the Great Council in London… wait and see. More prosaically, we would say … let’s wait for events.
Studio de la Victorine, after an 18-year lease to a concessionaire with no visible results, as they approach their 100th anniversary, these studios with a glorious past will be taken over under the usual scheme of the mayor of Nice (the latest example being the Palais des Congrès et des Expositions). A commission of experts from the cinematic world will deliberate on a use project.
The Paid Parking on Public Roads is a very sensitive point due to the unfortunate habit of the Nice (and elsewhere) motorist to think only of themselves and their tendency to regard the rules as an option left to their goodwill. The new pricing, to be implemented from 2018, revolves around three figures: 30 minutes free, 1.30 euros per hour, and 280 euros annual package. A private company will replace municipal police in this task. Beware of the policy of numbers!
Three land use projects have been examined and approved.
The first is the conversion of Saint-Roch Hospital into a single center that will house the National and Municipal Police hotels, the Supervision Center, and the Detention Center to become an Urban Security Center – unique in France, according to Christian Estrosi. This project has the endorsement of the Minister of the Interior, who would support it with a 70 million envelope out of the 100/150 million estimated cost. An additional 10 million will be provided by the Region (being a deputy president helps!). The departmental council, when appealed, is being reluctant, with Eric Ciotti being the president of the finance committee! The remaining balance needs to be found, but in any case, the project is on the right track.
The 27 DelValle, pomistically dubbed the European City of Health – opened in 2015 and contributed to infusing a new dynamic to this east part of the city, will evolve and add two new responsibilities to its current missions: a residence for interns with 70 housing units as well as accommodation for researchers and entrepreneurs (7 start-ups housed in its premises) and a space of over 3000 square meters dedicated to research, and business creation.
The Ray sector, with the demolition of the stands (but not the Rotunda, which will be spared), has started the journey towards the completion of its redevelopment. Particularly knowledgeable on this file, Dominique Boy-Mottard pointed out the numerous project variations that continually increase the number of planned housing units: from the 80 in the first study document, there are now more than 300, which are added to the shops (local businesses plus the new location of the Carrefour market) and parking (918 spaces offered).
The forecasts for the public park (3 ha) and sports facilities (large game field (former Ray stadium), sports platform (in the current location of the Carrefour market) which will include the fencing hall, dojo) remain unchanged.
However, a new version of the Ray-Gorbella school, which has taken into consideration besides its extension and modernization, the creation of a Childcare Center.
The projected costs are also known: 5.2 million euros for green spaces, 6.4 million for sports facilities, 15.3 million for the school complex, and 92.5 million, including 17.2 million for land acquisition, for the real estate program.
Final completion of the work: mid-2020… a date we will often encounter!
Last but not least: criticism from the opposition on the modification of the internal regulations article that stipulates the formation of a group changes from 2 to 5 members. Patrick Allemand recalled that 5 was already the number required before Christian Estrosi reduced it to 2 to allow the fragmentation of opposition groups with the aim of breaking up the opposition into small factions.
But times change, and now it is the same Mayor of Nice who wants to create a barrier, making it more difficult to form a pro-Ciotti group! – this is the clamor from the opposition, which will need to find a certain form of unity, at least formally, by 2020 if they want to play their role effectively.
