A few days after the former president of the Republic was sentenced to five years in prison, Nice’s mayor Christian Estrosi announced that the forecourt of the new municipal and national police headquarters will bear his name. This decision has sparked strong reactions.
Christian Estrosi surprised many on Monday, September 29, by announcing on the social media platform X that the forecourt of the future municipal and national police headquarters in Nice will be named after Nicolas Sarkozy. The mayor justified his choice by recalling the former president’s support for this project.
“I have decided to name the future forecourt of our municipal and national police headquarters after Nicolas Sarkozy. Present from the start, he supported this unique project and given his interest in our law enforcement forces and the safety of the people of Nice. This is an opportunity to salute the decisive action he took, first as Minister of the Interior then as President of the Republic, making security a national priority,” he wrote.
The move is presented as a tribute to the former head of state, with whom Christian Estrosi claims both political and personal closeness. According to him, Nicolas Sarkozy “supported the creation of this new facility from the beginning,” intended to bring together municipal and national police services in a single building.
This announcement comes in a particular context. On September 25, Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison, two of which are firm, in the so-called Libyan financing affair. The judges reproached him for allowing two of his associates, Brice Hortefeux and Claude Guéant, to seek financing from Muammar Gaddafi’s regime for his 2007 presidential campaign. The court described the actions as “of exceptional gravity” and “likely to undermine citizens’ trust.”
Despite this judicial decision, Christian Estrosi wanted to publicly express his support. Immediately after the verdict’s announcement, he had reacted by publishing a message of friendship and solidarity. “Like millions of French people, I was deeply saddened to learn of the painful trial my friend, whom I consider as a brother, Nicolas Sarkozy, is going through. We have shared a life dedicated to the common good, serving our country. I want to tell his children and his wife Carla how proud they can be of their father and husband. I think of the suffering he must feel facing this verdict. We are millions to maintain our affection for him because these bonds that unite us are indestructible. Courage, my friend!”, wrote the mayor of Nice.
With this symbolic “baptism,” Christian Estrosi takes another step. For him, it’s about recognizing the actions of a political leader who made security a central focus of his career. But this initiative is not unanimously accepted.
The Union of the Lefts denounces “a provocation”
The group United for Nice quickly reacted. Its members denounce a decision that, according to them, tarnishes the city’s image. “The recent declaration by Christian Estrosi, wishing to name the forecourt of the future police headquarters after Nicolas Sarkozy, is yet another provocation that further damages our city’s image. Nice deserves more than to be associated with a former president condemned by justice and symbol of judicial affairs,” they wrote.
The opposition elected officials propose an alternative: to pay tribute to Robert Badinter, former Minister of Justice and a figure of the Republic. They recall that he abolished the death penalty in 1981 and will soon be honored at the Panthéon. “We call for a dignified and unifying choice: to pay tribute to Robert Badinter, a major figure of the Republic, architect of the abolition of the death penalty, and tireless defender of human rights. This type of reference would truly honor Nice and the values we want to uphold for our city,” assert Julien Picot, Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, and Patrick Allemand in a joint release.
The debate goes beyond the local framework. Christian Estrosi’s decision comes as the place of convicted political figures in public space raises questions from many citizens. It also raises a question about collective memory: what names should be given to a city’s symbolic places, and for what values?
