For the fourth consecutive time since 2001, 12,000 Movement members, 635 departmental delegates, and 538 voters said “yes” by 94% to the re-election of the sole candidate, Christian Estrosi, to the Presidency of the UMP of Alpes-Maritimes.
The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has therefore been unanimously elected president of the UMP 06 federation with an 86% turnout rate. Christian Estrosi has been renewed in his position for the 4th time. At the end of his election, the president of the Alpes-Maritimes federation delivered a speech from which here are a few excerpts:
“I wish to pay respect to Xavier Bertrand and congratulate Jean-Franรงois Copรฉ. I will ensure that in the Alpes Maritimes, around the General Secretary of the UMP, the unity within the diversity of each movement is preserved.”
“I hope Jean-Franรงois Copรฉ takes advantage of the duration of his term to evolve the statutes, so that at the next renewal, he allows the election of the general secretary by the vote of all the members.”
“I feel no bitterness after my exit from the government, I intend to use my availability for engaging in the debate of ideas. I consider that while the first part of the term was dedicated to the modernization reforms of our country, it is now our responsibility to focus on listening and prioritizing the place of men, women, and children at the heart of our projects for more social cohesion. This reflection and my commitment are in service of the victory of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012.”
In reality, according to the numbers given in the room by Michรจle Tabarot, it was almost unanimous even if the score remains that of a majority, in political jargon, called “Bulgarian.”
It was a congress without emotion because of the lack of competition due to the sole candidacy of Christian Estrosi. The mayor of Nice and former Minister remains the departmental head of the UMP for the next three years, succeeding himself in a process of continuity that has lasted since 2001 and which, without detracting from the value of his leadership, is not necessarily a sign of the party’s good health.
Because a movement that shows 12,000 members and manages the most important political bodies such as the General Council and the municipalities of the more populated cities of the department and almost all the others, fills its ranks with deputies, senators, general councilors and remains the first departmental force even if the PACA region is governed by the Left, should be an agora where men of goodwill and talents express ideas, various sensitivities and ambitions. Because democracy is based on differences rather than on unified thinking, and the absence gives the impression of a party locked by its ruling bodies rather than that of an agora where everyone contributes to the discussion…
Certain expectations surrounded Christian Estrosi’s speech, who, after the setbacks of the ministerial reshuffle, would refocus his political actions within a more limited and “local” scope. And knowing the man, whose personal commitment and willingness to act can only be admired, we were left wanting more (perhaps due to the coincidence of the speech with lunchtime!).
We do not know Mr. Estrosi’s writing style, but in this case, we suggest the hypothesis that he struck the wrong chord.
Given the nature of the election (UMP departmental assembly) and the audience (elected officials, delegates, and militants), we wanted to know the vision that the former and… new President of the Movement has for Alpes-Maritimes, its territories, and the communities of people residing there. How he envisions a management strategy for the present, and in the future, its development. What accompanying strategy, the priority axes, the definition of objectives, how to act and through which actions to achieve this, the measures to be taken to ensure results… In short, a true inaugural speech!
Instead, we had a lengthy tirade (more than an hour when, for example, President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech lasted only 17 minutes… and we know the effectiveness of Americans in all matters of communication).
A sort of Weltanschauung where we heard about general politics, France, the World… And what about Alpes-Maritimes in all this?
It is well understood that a territory and a community are part of a Country and a Nation and… then a continent and a European community and… a World and a universal community and that everything is interrelated. But, but, but… there are issues and specificities that should not be abandoned or forgotten because it is in globalization that we must more than ever remain rooted to our origins: global and local as today’s experts say, which is nothing but the modernized version of the ancient principle “urbi et orbi” by which the Romans once managed the world.
In short, we expected a project and instead, we got a speech with a rhetorical tone and soaring final lyricism. Hence our modest but sincere opinion, which is not meant to be a criticism, of a missed opportunity.
