A faithful supporter of the president during the 2017 and 2022 campaigns, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, is now calling for Emmanuel Macron’s departure. In a tense political context, marked by the resignation of Sébastien Lecornu, he joins Edouard Philippe and other officials who wish for an early presidential election.
French political life has just experienced a new twist. On Monday, October 6, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced his resignation, plunging the country into an open political crisis. Barely twenty-four hours later, Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice and vice-president of the party Horizons, spoke out. On his account on X, he called for “the departure of Emmanuel Macron” and “the organization of an early presidential election.”
The announcement surprised even his own camp. Long an ally of the President of the Republic, Christian Estrosi had supported his policies since 2017. Even in 2022, he called to vote for him. But this Tuesday, October 7, the Nice elected official confirmed his change of position. “Only the departure of Emmanuel Macron and the organization of an early presidential election will allow us to emerge from the unprecedented political and economic crisis we are experiencing”, he declared.
The resignation of the Prime Minister acted as a trigger. In a context of social and budgetary tensions, the majority is struggling to maintain a clear line. The budget debates have rekindled divisions between the allies of Emmanuel Macron and those of Edouard Philippe, founder of the party Horizons. Christian Estrosi has chosen his side.
An Assumed Political Break
The mayor of Nice’s stance is not insignificant. In 2021, he organized a support committee for Emmanuel Macron in the Alpes-Maritimes, at a time when his former party, Les Républicains, was going through an internal crisis. He was then one of the strongest local supporters of Macronism.
Today, he says he is learning lessons from the situation. “In the Vth Republic, everything comes and goes through the President”, he wrote. By siding with Edouard Philippe, Christian Estrosi advocates that the executive power must regain popular legitimacy. This orientation marks a turning point for Horizons, a party still officially part of the presidential majority.
This change of tone comes as Emmanuel Macron faces increasing criticism from all sides. Several officials, including within the majority, question his ability to govern in such a tense climate. The opposition calls for either his resignation or the dissolution of the National Assembly.
In Nice, the mayor’s declaration also resonates on a local level. His political opponent, Éric Ciotti, president of the Union of Rights for the Republic and a candidate for the mayor’s office, has also called for the head of state’s departure. The two men, long ideologically opposed, are thus united on this point. This convergence illustrates the extent of the current political malaise.
The choice of Christian Estrosi raises several questions. Some observers see it as a strategy of anticipation: to get closer to Edouard Philippe in view of a possible presidential election. Others see it as a personal break with Macron’s method, deemed too vertical.
Whatever the case, the mayor of Nice is now positioning himself in a dynamic of change. His declaration fuels the debate on the country’s institutional future. Should the Assembly be dissolved, or should voters be summoned for a new presidential election? The debate is reopened, and the majority appears weakened.
In a country where political stability remains fragile, Christian Estrosi’s words mark a symbolic turning point. They signify the end of an eight-year support. And they open a period of uncertainty, both for Emmanuel Macron and for the majority he is still trying to maintain.
