For Jacques Peyrat, there’s no need for a microphone, a lectern or even notes; he feels among friends and is about to deliver a long speech. “Tonight, I am not going to talk about my achievements or my projects. I have made tens of thousands of little books to explain them. I have debated them extensively in meetings. It can be acknowledged that the work of the Mayor of Nice is known. I want to speak freely as one speaks with friends in the evening by the fireside or during a meal, telling it all.” Jacques Peyrat primarily criticized Christian Estrosi. Moments before his speech, one could imagine it. During the debate broadcast on the giant screen, Christian Estrosi’s interventions were booed. Patrick Allemand’s were sometimes applauded.
Peyrat’s speech was in the same vein. He took Christian Estrosi’s arguments and dismantled them. Christian Estrosi criticized his housing policy and Côte d’Azur habitat, reminding him that it was his wife, Dominique Estrosi, who was the deputy in charge of this domain… An example among others. He cites statements by Mr. Estrosi: “He claimed in Le Figaro: I will be the best-elected minister of France and that from the first round. He was notably mistaken. Some time after, he declared that as a Minister he would bring to the city of Nice what it needed. Given that he is no longer a minister, I deduce he will bring nothing…” Jacques Peyrat finds wicked pleasure at the end of the campaign playing the role of an orator. He employed all his eloquence in discussing the UMP candidate’s record in Overseas: “In Polynesia, his political intelligence made him say that the mayor of Bora Bora would be elected President. He was mistaken in Polynesia and made a laughingstock of himself. In New Caledonia, it took just one trip to create a mess not seen in five years…”
Meanwhile, a few hundred meters away, at the Palais de la Méditerranée, Christian Estrosi says he is “the victim of a smear and lies campaign for weeks…” Behind his lectern, with his running mates seated behind him, he spoke for an hour. Here, no broadcasting of the debate. The Young Populaires are trying to set the mood. Disco tunes play. And the UMP candidate for the mayor of Nice leans on his record in the General Council and the government to prove his legitimacy and competence to become the mayor of Nice.
He slights Patrick Allemand “The Marseillais” and Jacques Peyrat “The man of the past.” About the latter, Christian Estrosi makes a wish that some may consider pious, others outdated: “May he be spared the suffering of being in the city council.”
Christian Estrosi has announced a measure: to create a special city council where all candidates not present in the official City Council could express themselves.
At Acropolis, Patrick Allemand made an entrance in the middle of the crowd with the chorus of “change the era.” He focused his speech on the strategic vote. He also sharply criticized Christian Estrosi’s decision not to carry out Tramway Line 2 under the pretext that he does not know the finances of the City of Nice: “Who is he kidding? He proposes a new convention center at Sulzer, a new expo park, a new multimodal station, a port at the airport, a Guggenheim-type museum, a stadium for 40,000. He has the money for all that, but to make Line 2 from east to west and connect the city to the city, he doesn’t have it!”
The Socialist candidate, relaxed, quickly took off his jacket. His running mates warmed up the room. Jean François Téaldi, Paul Cuturello, then Sophie Duez: “I started my acting career with a Patrick, Patrick Bruel. On the phone, he told me ‘I love Nice but it’s run by idiots.’ When we have the keys, we will open the doors of the city instead of locking them.”
Patrick Allemand’s meeting concludes with the distribution of leaflets and posters in the form of the front page of a newspaper. The title: Nice-At Last…
The campaign ends. On Sunday, a new mayor will be (re)elected.
The last three contenders in this marathon race that began in September gave their final sprint on Thursday evening. The game is almost over. All that remains is for the people of Nice to go to the polls.
