Faced with the two warships UMP and FN, won’t the pink and green schooner of the eco-socialist duo risk sinking in the first round of these departmental elections? Barbara Ghigi (a lawyer by training) and Fabrice Decoupigny (academic, municipal and metropolitan councilor) are betting on proximity to overturn the forecast: “With Old Nice, the Port, Garibaldi Square, Riquier – Rรฉpublique, and the hills, our territory is a victim of the metropolitan area’s neglect in favor of the concreting of the Plaine du Var,” they state in unison.
Nice Premium: What are your proposals to address this?
BG/FD: Our neighborhoods have a heritage that is insufficiently highlighted and needs to be rehabilitated. Our priorities focus on measures aimed at improving the living environment and purchasing power. Solidarity policies must be reinforced to maintain the social diversity that characterizes our neighborhoods. We aim to establish a solidarity watch to break the isolation of elderly people by creating intergenerational spaces and improving accessibility for people with disabilities, and to strengthen housing aid policies by enhancing solidarity funds for housing.
Nice Premium: Are there other areas of intervention that you consider urgent if you are elected?
BG/FD: We must not forget the policy of supporting middle school students’ access to digital resources and providing a computer for each student, as is done in other departments, as well as increasing funds allocated to school trips. Our department is one of the wealthiest; it is enough to spend taxpayer money more wisely.
The same goes for the deficient local facilities around the schools. Our neighborhoods are under-equipped with sports facilities and access to public transport is problematic, which is why we are asking for the extension of tram line 2 to serve Riquier station.
Nice Premium: We know you are particularly sensitive to environmental issues…
BG/FD: Yes, green spaces need to be rehabilitated. The Paillon promenade, as beautiful as it is, is not enough. We also need to enhance the green areas in our neighborhoods. It is not acceptable that all our parks and gardens in our canton – Normandie Niรฉmen garden, Mont Boron, Castle Hill, Fort Mont Alban, Vinaigrier Park, Castel des Deux Rois – are forgotten in development plans.
We will also request the implementation of a residential parking plan in the canton to allow residents access to parking spaces and prevent double parking, a bane of the neighborhoods, and that the main traffic arteries (Riquier, Delfino, Stalingrad, Barla, Cassini) be redeveloped and equipped with soundproof pavements to limit noise pollution.
Nice Premium: What message do you want to convey to voters a few days before the vote?
BG/FD: That we will always place listening to the residents and citizen consultation at the heart of our local action.
