The departmental elections seem to more or less escape political wrangling. For this sector, the left wanted to make a big impact by sending local heavyweights. The task won’t be easy. But for them, the stakes in this election are crucial to addressing current problems and future challenges.
David Nakache is a candidate on the “Viva” list alongside Mireille Damiano. Their substitutes are Loïc Fortuit and Marine Vengeon. But he also has another role. He is the president of the association Tous citoyens (All Citizens). Currently, he is a member of Génération.s. For him, this list is depersonalized. He does not want to speak on behalf of his three colleagues. He is just one component of this common voice. His mission can be summed up in three words: democracy, ecology, and solidarity.
What will your measures be if you are elected to the departmental council?
There are short, medium, and long-term measures. They re-engage the entire policy of the departmental council. On many points, it is on the wrong track. The severe situation a significant part of the population is experiencing stems from the impoverishment of certain neighborhoods. This is due to precariousness that has been exacerbated by the health crisis. Our first measure won’t make everyone dream. It will simply ensure a safety net for each individual. It is essential because a large portion of the population cannot benefit from any aid, as they fall through the cracks. These are young people under 25 who are entitled to absolutely nothing. Often, they are either in family, school, or student disconnection, or apprentices… We need to grant them the right to RSA (Revenu de Solidarité Active). It’s the bare minimum.
And for the Nice-1 canton?
As a reminder, it stretches from the Madeleine neighborhood to Jean Médecin, passing by the Thiers station. The showcase of the Promenade des Anglais no longer manages to conceal the poverty issue. Many people are fleeing this canton because they can no longer find housing. Let’s take a concrete example: the urban renovation project from Vernier to the station up to the Basilica of Notre-Dame of the Assumption. Launched in 2009, it is six years behind schedule. Initially estimated at 150 million euros, it has been reduced to 78 million euros. We’ve reduced it by half compared to the initial needs. Significant delays have been incurred in identifying the housing to be rehabilitated and in restarting trade.
In this sector, we face the issue of endangered and vulnerable people. I think of victims of prostitution networks and human trafficking. On Gambetta Boulevard, part of Victor Hugo street, minors are subjected to forced prostitution. The Department must protect minors. Finally, these neighborhoods suffer from pollution. We have a very high level of air pollution, especially with fine particles.
And regarding the social aspect?
We need to redeploy all social support. The Department is the leader in social action. Concerning disability and the dependence of the elderly, we have a backlog in response times. This is the case for the transportation and schooling of disabled children. The delay in determining whether to maintain someone at home or transfer them to a specialized institution is far too long. The response time is sometimes 8 to 10 months. Yet, the law requires a response in less than 4 months! The fault lies in a lack of resources for the MDPH (Departmental House for Disabled Persons). We need to overhaul the operation of support for people with disabilities.
How do you bring your personal touch to the departmental council?
Let’s start by ensuring that the department meets its legal obligations regarding extreme poverty and disability. Today, any family affected by disability faces a real obstacle course. Yet, if the department doesn’t take care of it, no one will. We need to ensure decent living conditions for all persons with disabilities.
In your opinion, is there a lot of fraud with the RSA at the CAF?
The department manages the RSA. But it spends more time chasing fraudsters than finding beneficiaries. Of course, we need to fight fraud. If the department communicates each year on the number of detected frauds, it says nothing about the number of people who have been lifted out of poverty. The cost of living is so high that even with a minimum wage, one health issue can push you into precariousness. When someone’s unemployment benefits run out, we could reach out and say “you might be entitled to RSA.” We are one of the departments with the most potential RSA beneficiaries. Often, they don’t apply because they are ashamed to ask for help.
Why are you a candidate in this Nice-1 canton?
We tried to avoid what often happens elsewhere. That is, two lists, either from the left or ecologists, going head-to-head. The right dominates the debates at the electoral level. Here, it’s hard to distinguish between the right and the extreme right in the decisions made. Éric Ciotti, the former president of the Department, and a major influence, makes statements almost identical to those of the National Rally, sometimes worse. Ultimately, we have an extreme right dominating the debates and a left that is reduced to making between 15 to 30% in the Department. In Nice, we brought together all the left forces and divided the cantons to avoid competition. In this dialogue between us, we realized there is significant work to be done in the Nice-1 canton, and we proposed to lead the fight. We tried to ensure one left and ecological list per canton.
So the negotiations went smoothly?
Yes, but that’s not the most interesting for the department’s stakes. On Sunday, voters will choose the fate of their department and canton. The right has been managing the department for several decades and the entirety of the department’s municipalities. What is the result? Cementation, overconsumption, mass tourism… The right has made choices, for the economy and residents’ quality of life, that turn out to be catastrophic. We haven’t anticipated climate disruptions. We have excessively sealed the soil. We have remained anchored in only one economic activity: mass tourism. Some economists have been saying for a long time: if you encounter climate disruption problems or if tourism stops, the entire economy will collapse. This is what happened with Covid. We have barely a few days of food autonomy!
We are also in a democratic impasse. We have higher abstention than elsewhere because people realize they are solicited every 5 or 6 years for elections, and then they hear nothing more. That’s not an active democracy. Citizens need to realize they have the keys in hand. They have the choice.
