During a press conference held on February 16 at 4 p.m., Éric Ciotti denounced a situation of “unprecedented and exceptional gravity” following the opening of a preliminary investigation into mask purchases made by the city of Nice in the spring of 2020. Surrounded by municipal councilor Gaëlle Frontoni, he called for a complaint from the city council and the publication of all documents related to these public contracts.
The conference began with a solemn clarification. “Ladies and gentlemen, I greatly thank you for your presence,” declared Éric Ciotti, adding that he had delayed his arrival to “pay tribute to the victims who lost their lives serving in the gendarmerie.” Quickly, the tone became more severe. The elected official indicated that he had convened journalists “somewhat urgently,” referring to “the judicial news affecting the city hall.” According to him, the situation confronts the municipality with unprecedented and extraordinary gravity. At the center of the controversy: an investigation was launched on February 13 by the public prosecutor of Nice, following allegations of favoritism and corruption related to the acquisition of sanitary products during the Covid crisis. Mr. Ciotti refers to information relayed by the media: “In the spring of 2020, at the height of the health crisis, the city of Nice purchased 750,000 FFP2 masks through a third party,” for an estimated sum of “over one million one hundred thousand euros.” Using the conditional, he emphasizes the gravity of the accusations: “If these facts are confirmed, we would be facing a scandal of exceptional gravity. A financial scandal, a health scandal, a political scandal.” According to him, the start of the investigation indicates that “tangible evidence must be examined.”
During his speech, Éric Ciotti mentions suspicions of intervention by a former mayor’s assistant to favor an associate in awarding a contract. He describes these facts as “of extreme gravity,” but also “morally shameful.” “We are not seeking to make a fortune in the midst of a crisis that has sown terror in our country,” he says, evoking the health context and human distress at the time. The candidate also targets the municipal communication of that period, referring to “an image of the mayor of Nice next to a plane on the tarmac,” which he sees as a symbol of questionable administration. With a more political tone, he criticizes “Estrosi and his comédia Del Arte,” expressing his desire to “become mayor of Nice and establish truth and transparency.”
Éric Ciotti makes two specific requests. First, “a complaint with civil party constitution from the city of Nice.” According to him, if the facts are proven, “the city would have suffered a very heavy prejudice” and must act on behalf of the taxpayers. Next, he demands “full transparency”: publication of purchase orders, contracts, invoices, and justifications related to emergency procedures during the health crisis. He also requests that documents attesting “the absence of conflicts of interest” be produced. An official letter delivered by Gaëlle Frontoni to the mayor of Nice aims to obtain these documents.
An electoral argument one month before the ballot
A few weeks before the first stage, Mr. Ciotti addresses the issue from a political and civic angle. “The city hall cannot, under any circumstances, be accused of a lack of transparency without arousing suspicion,” he says, referring to the questions of the people of Nice: “Were there profiteers during the pandemic?” or “Was the health of the residents compromised?” He claims that, according to the media, the masks were acquired “at exorbitant costs,” which would have allowed “to obtain two to three times more masks” under normal circumstances. To conclude, the candidate advocates for a “large exercise of transparency” and positions himself as a protector of “public health.” His conclusion is clear: “No one has the right to compromise the health of the people of Nice without consequence. We will not let it happen.” A proactive press conference, representing a step forward in the local political struggle and now placing the legal issue at the heart of municipal discussions.
