After the refusal expressed Monday by Édouard Geffray, Éric Ciotti maintains his project to raise the flag in Nice schools and contests the minister’s position.
The power struggle continues over the raising of the flag in Nice schools. A few hours after the position taken by the Minister of National Education, Édouard Geffray, Éric Ciotti responded yesterday, Monday, August 31. The mayor of Nice contests the government’s analysis and defends the possibility of an agreement between the city and the Ministry of National Education. “ I have taken note of the astounding statements by the Minister of National Education regarding my proposal to regularly organize a flag-raising ceremony accompanied by La Marseillaise in Nice schools. »
Édouard Geffray had estimated during the day that the Nice municipality could not decide on such a ceremony alone. « It is not up to the mayor, in this case, to decide any flag-raising ceremony that would take place in the presence of all students, whether once a week, once a month, or once a day. »
The minister had also considered that such an initiative could not « find any beginning of implementation » without intervention from the Ministry of National Education.
Éric Ciotti maintains his proposal
For Éric Ciotti, the project can nonetheless be developed within the framework of an agreement between the city of Nice and the Ministry of National Education. The mayor recalls having contacted the rector of the academy a few days earlier (Saturday, editor’s note) in order to work on the details of the scheme. « Contrary to what the minister claims, such an initiative can perfectly well be implemented within the framework of an agreement signed between the City of Nice and the Ministry of National Education. It is precisely in this spirit that I officially contacted the rector of the academy a few days ago in order to collectively define its modalities. »
The announced meeting with the rector is scheduled for September 7. The consultation should focus notably on the organization of the flag-raising and its coordination with educational teams.
The municipality also maintains the deployment of tricolor flagpoles in elementary schools in Nice. In total, 89 establishments are to be equipped with tricolor flagpoles and flags upon return from the All Saints’ holiday.
Éric Ciotti thus denounces a refusal that comes before even the planned consultation with the rectorate. “ I deeply regret this refusal to organize a simple civic initiative intended to transmit to our children the attachment to France and the values of the Republic. How can a minister consider that the flag of our country is not part of national education? »
Éric Ciotti: “ For the Macronists-Socialists, the tricolor flag is a danger and a threat! »
The mayor of Nice links this proposal to the transmission of republican symbols to students. A position already defended at the announcement of the back-to-school initiative: « While the values of the Republic are increasingly challenged and undermined, recreating a link between our children, our anthem, our flag and our country seems more necessary than ever. These symbols belong to all French people and must constitute shared reference points transmitted to future generations. »
The response ends with a political attack against the government. Éric Ciotti accuses the executive in particular of turning away from a measure presented as falling within, according to the municipality, the transmission of republican values: « I deplore that the Macronist Government, in yet another leftist drift, backs away once again from a common-sense measure widely shared by the French, which pursues only one objective: to transmit to our children the love of France and the values of the Republic. »
The mayor concludes: « Apparently, for the Macronists-Socialists, the tricolor flag is a danger and a threat! »
In the Nice opposition, David Nakache believes for his part that Éric Ciotti was « called to order » by the Minister of National Education. The elected official criticizes the continued deployment of tricolor flagpoles and denounces a spending that he deems unnecessary: « The mayor takes care of the material conditions of teaching in primary school, the ministry decides on the educational content. »
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