Following the announcement by Christian Estrosi to name the forecourt of the future police headquarters after Nicolas Sarkozy, the association Tous citoyens! denounces an indecent decision and recalls the legal convictions of the former president.
On September 29, Christian Estrosi announced on the social network X that the forecourt of the future municipal and national police headquarters will bear the name of Nicolas Sarkozy. For the mayor of Nice, this choice is explained by the former president’s role in setting up this project and his commitment to security.
“I decided to give the name Nicolas Sarkozy to the future forecourt of our Municipal and National Police Headquarters. Present from the beginning, he supported this unique project and demonstrated his interest in our law enforcement forces and the safety of the people of Nice. It is an opportunity to commend the decisive action he led, first as Minister of the Interior and then as President of the Republic, by making security a national priority”, he writes.
This decision comes as Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on September 25 to five years in prison, two of which are firm, in the case of Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. The court described the acts as “of exceptional gravity”.
Despite this context, Christian Estrosi stands by his choice. A few days earlier, he had already expressed his support for his former mentor. But the announcement of the forecourt’s naming immediately triggered new reactions.
Tous citoyens! denounces “a contempt for justice”
In a statement, the association Tous citoyens! firmly rejects the mayor’s decision. “No, Nice should not honor Nicolas Sarkozy!” it writes. According to them, “the mayor of Nice seems to have lost all sense of proportion, common sense, and respect for moral values.”
The association believes that “one does not honor a convicted person, much less a repeat offender.” It recalls that Christian Estrosi has already paid tribute to several political figures convicted by the judiciary.
In 2018, he named a street after Charles Pasqua, who was convicted of illegal campaign financing and embezzlement. In 2019, a street was named after Jacques Médecin, former mayor of Nice, who was sentenced to several prison terms for corruption, embezzlement, and tax fraud. In 2020, a statue of Jacques Chirac was erected, even though the former president was convicted of breach of trust and embezzlement.
For Tous citoyens!, choosing Nicolas Sarkozy follows this same logic. The statement recalls the convictions of the former head of state:
- three years in prison, one of which is firm for corruption and influence peddling in the Bismuth case (final conviction),
- one year in prison, six months of which are firm for illegal campaign financing in the Bygmalion case (conviction in the first instance and on appeal),
- five years in prison, two of which are firm for criminal association in the Libyan financing case (conviction in the first instance).
“Naming the forecourt of the future central police station in Nice after Nicolas Sarkozy amounts to acknowledging that justice and integrity matter little and praising corruption”, continues the statement. “It means prioritizing the ideological affiliations of the mayor of Nice over the image of our city and the civic sense we must teach our children.”
The association calls on the mayor and his majority to “return to reason and decency” and to renounce this decision. A petition has even been launched. In less than 24 hours, it has gathered over 800 signatures.
Other critical voices in Nice
The opposition group Unis pour Nice had already denounced this project. Its elected officials believe the initiative “further tarnishes the image of our city.” They argue that Nice should honor Robert Badinter, a republican figure and architect of the abolition of the death penalty, who will be enshrined in the Pantheon on October 9.
“It is this type of reference that would truly honor Nice and the values we want to uphold for our city”, declare Julien Picot, Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, and Patrick Allemand for the Union of the Left.
The criticisms therefore converge to reject a choice perceived as divisive and contrary to the values of integrity. They raise a broader question: should the names of individuals convicted by the judiciary be given to public places, especially those related to security?
For now, Christian Estrosi remains resolute. The forecourt of the future police headquarters in Nice is expected to bear the name of Nicolas Sarkozy at its inauguration. But the opposition and citizen associations’ protests have placed this decision at the center of a debate that goes beyond local borders.
