This Wednesday, April 30th, in the solemn yet warm setting of Villa Masséna, Christian Estrosi awarded the insignia of Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honor to Richard Chemla, a key figure in the ecological transition in Nice, a renowned doctor, and a committed man serving the common good.
In front of an emotional audience, the mayor of Nice hailed a “tireless activist,” a man “passionate, inspiring, and always useful.” In his eyes, he embodies “the nobility of politics, the one that doesn’t engage in petty politics but grand, the one that thinks and decides for the common good.” In the presence of his wife Brigitte and his children, Richard Chemla received a distinction for the fruit of his rich professional and civic career.
From the Operating Room to the Municipal Chamber
An anesthesiologist and neurosurgeon for 42 years, Richard Chemla could have taken a well-deserved retirement. But it’s a “busy retirement,” that ultimately chose him.
“During lunch with my wife, I received a message announcing this distinction. My first reaction was: it’s catastrophic, Christian Estrosi’s phone has been hacked!” he jokes.
Today, Delegate for Ecological and Energy Transition, Health and Well-being, Animal Protection, and Monitoring of the Organization of the Ocean Summit 2025, the deputy mayor has managed to extend his commitment beyond the hospital. He has become one of the major architects of the city’s environmental policy in Nice.
A Respected Environmentalist and Concrete Commitments
“Nice is lucky to have someone like you,” emphasized Christian Estrosi. He added: “I remember a certain Richard, this dreadful environmentalist, he wanted me to award him at the time the insignia of the National Order of Merit. At that moment, I didn’t know he would become my deputy!”
At the core of this recognition: a major point is his decisive role in organizing the third Ocean Summit, which will be held in Nice in 2025, following New York and Lisbon. Under his impetus, the city has imposed a novel approach. For the first time, a coalition of coastal territories will see the day. “This coalition, I envisioned it for people like you,” declared Estrosi. “You, the great recognized doctor, today you’re healing the sea.”
In his thank-you speech, Richard Chemla paid tribute to his team and the people of Nice: “it’s thanks to them, their attachment to their city, and also their high expectations, that this adventure is possible. What we have built here is starting to develop elsewhere.” He concluded on a smiling note: “thank you for offering me this busy retirement, to finally live an incredible adventure.”
