During its vacation week, the Nice Premium team is happy to offer you a compilation of its best articles. For this penultimate day, you’ll find the 5 most viewed interviews of the year on Nice Premium.
Nice Premium: What is your feeling following this nomination to the UMP?
Christian Estrosi: I simply found my natural place within my political family. The President of the Republic asked me to accept important responsibilities. I wasn’t going to refuse as long as I could preserve my entire personality and remain free in action and speech, all while contributing to the cohesion and unity of our political family.
NP: What do your new functions entail?
Christian Estrosi: It’s a very broad role in which I intend to invest myself personally, to maintain our popular foundations and ensure that those who had supported the presidential project in May 2007 are heard. These are the very people who might sometimes feel that certain commitments have been deviated from, whereas, on the contrary, the reform is here. I think that the French need the UMP to explain its actions: the strength of the movement founded by Nicolas Sarkozy was its popular base, encompassing both workers and employees from the public and private sectors, people from all walks of life and origins. Today, more than ever, there is a need for explanation. And it is not by remaining isolated in an ivory tower that this is possible: I intend to be very active on the ground. My ambition is to be both attentive to grassroots deputies, rooted in their regions, who need to be heard by our highest authorities, and to ensure that the deputies themselves do not forget that we are here because the French wanted it. It is only fair that they expect us to honor our commitments in return.
NP: We are soon approaching the 100 days of your mandate at the Nice City Hall. Is this another news item you will be sharing with the people of Nice in a few days?
Christian Estrosi: No, I do not mix my national political responsibilities with the energy that I now devote to my city. The 100 days are 100 days for the women and men of Nice. Everyone knows that I want to be here as the mayor for all the people of Nice beyond any ideological debate. For the residents of Nice, the fact that I have the ear and attention of the highest authorities of the State will allow me to influence important matters. The Pasteur Hospital, which was in a failing state, is a good example: now, Pasteur II will be able to come to fruition thanks to the 60 million euros I was able to secure. It is important to have influence and to be heard at the national level. At the same time, I want my relationship with the people of Nice to continue by uniting people from all backgrounds on our municipal project.
NP: The opposition will not fail to remind you that with this new position, you are moving a bit away from Nice. What will you say to that?
Christian Estrosi: They just have to look at my schedule! Firstly, it is not for the opposition to judge, it is for the people of Nice. And the people of Nice have a good judgement on the actions I am leading with my team at the moment. I simply say to the opposition “Be cautious! By wanting too much to lock yourselves into a right/left debate, while I have completely transcended it by inviting you to build and not to systematically destroy. You are harming yourselves if you wish to lock yourself in this sectarian, political, and ideological debate. It doesn’t interest me, and I will always place myself above it.
Interview audio version:
