Fingers are crossed at Jacques Peyrat’s headquarters. The initial trends have cast a chill at the campaign office of the incumbent Mayor, who spent the early evening at the election service to attend the count. About a hundred people showed up at 9 PM at Jacques Peyrat’s office on Avenue Jean Médecin. Fingers are crossed. They hope for a miracle and pray that the upcoming precincts will be more favorable to Jacques Peyrat.
The results are in. Saint Rita did not heed the supporters of the outgoing Senator Mayor. Jacques Peyrat did not win the election. He even placed third, behind Patrick Allemand and Christian Estrosi. He made his farewell speech in front of his loved ones and co-candidates gathered around him. “I would have liked to bring you more, to bring you victory. The people of Nice did not want it. But life goes on. Thank you.” With these words, the outgoing mayor announced his defeat to Christian Estrosi.
Friends of Jacques Peyrat present at the scene expected it but hoped until the end. “We’re crossing our fingers even if we’re under no illusions,” said Dominique, a woman from Nice who came to support her mayor an hour earlier. Maurice and Maryse, husband and wife, said, “Jacques Peyrat is a builder… A man who has done so much for Nice… People just don’t understand.” In the crowded room, all attention was on the man. “I will symbolically hand over the keys of the city to a new mayor whom I hold in no esteem,” he announced in a calm tone. The words ring out and resonate. The celebration is in the other camps. At Christian Estrosi’s of course, but also more moderately in the Socialist camp with Marc Concas’s victory over Eric Ciotti. Here, on Avenue Jean Médecin, the silence is profound. Disappointment can be seen on every face. Some express anger, others disappointment or sadness, and still others worry. Such is the case of Quentin Guezenec, a young supporter of the outgoing mayor. He explains: “Nice is missing out. The people of Nice have forgotten what he’s done for them. Yet he has proven his competence. I am ashamed of the new mayor. I do not trust him. We’ve missed a step up.” Time will tell if they were right or not… The assessment will come at the next municipal elections.
