It was first the elected members of the “Change the Era” list who took their places in a still-empty council hall, seeking the seats assigned to them. Patrick Allemand, joined by Sophie Duez, were discovering the premises for the first time, unlike their running mates Mari-Luz Nicaise, Frédérique Grégoire-Concas, Paul Cuturello, or Yann Librati, who were already familiar. Then arrived the members of the Republican Accord, led by Brigitte Tanauji-Dahan, who were accustomed to being in the majority, a position they had lost, placing them now in their new roles as opposition. The spectators who had the privilege of being present in the council hall were watching for the arrival of Jacques Peyrat, but in vain, as the former Mayor of Nice would ultimately not attend this inaugural session.
After the triumphant arrival of Christian Estrosi and his running mates, serious proceedings could thus begin with the election of the Mayor by the city councilors. The first move from the Republican Accord, which presented no candidate and even refused to participate in the vote, elicited whistles and jeers from an audience sometimes bordering on indecency. Unsurprisingly, Christian Estrosi won the election against his only opponent, Patrick Allemand. The first city council could now officially start with a lengthy speech lasting over an hour in which Christian Estrosi spoke of “extending a hand to the opposition” by offering them the presidency of the tender commission. This proposal would ultimately be declined by Patrick Allemand, who, during his speech, did not hesitate to criticize the incumbent mayor, calling him the worst-elected mayor since the liberation, which provoked the audience’s boos, quickly quieted by Christian Estrosi calling for respect for the opposition’s voice.
Micheline Baus, representative of the Republican Accord, would present a report requested by an audit firm demonstrating that the management of Jacques Peyrat’s team was not as disastrous as it was made out to be. Debt had gone from 722 million euros to 366 million euros to date, and the property tax was the lowest among the ten largest French cities. She reminded everyone of the major projects undertaken by the former municipal team that had brought Nice to a good state today. Once again, the audience showed its limits, and it was fortunate that stupidity did not kill, for this municipal session would have been a real tragedy among the spectators.
The electoral battle is over, but another trench warfare seems to be shaping up in a municipal chamber which, for the duration of a Friday, had turned into a ring where, thankfully, not all blows were allowed.
