After gathering opinions from Muriel Marland Militello and Patrick Mottard, Nice Premium met with other local politicians to find out how they perceived the Mayor of Nice’s statement.
We meet Romain Mouton (UMP parliamentary assistant), Jean-Louis Vidal Revel (UDF), and Jean Christophe Picard (PRG candidate for the Nice municipal elections) who reflect on the reasons for this statement, which was quite surprising for a majority of the people of Nice.
Nice Premium: Romain Mouton, Jacques Peyrat stated that in a second round between Ségolène Royal and Jean-Marie Le Pen, he would vote for the latter. What do you think?
Romain Mouton: Everyone is free to vote as they wish. Petty political squabbles only interest those involved. The people of Nice are not fooled. They know well that the only candidate capable of solving the problems of high living costs, insecurity, immigration, and employment is Nicolas Sarkozy. In the Alpes-Maritimes, along with Christian Estrosi, we will campaign for Nicolas Sarkozy with determination.
NP: What is, in your opinion, the reason for this rather surprising choice, even if we know the Mayor of Nice’s far-right past?
RM: You know, I firmly believe that people do not change. They evolve, they gain experience… but sooner or later, the past catches up. The city is not aligned with the National Front. The people of Nice have big hearts; they have a soul and a real identity. They know very well that the candidate who will be able to recreate national unity while preserving local identities is Nicolas Sarkozy. I understand all those who vote for the far-right, and to them I say: the real revolution is with Nicolas Sarkozy!
NP: How should the UMP react to such statements?
RM: The UMP is not meant to judge anyone. We are more committed to winning with Nicolas Sarkozy for the future of the people of Nice and the French. However, personally, I would suggest Mr. Peyrat join the National Front if he is so close to those ideas.
NP: Do you think Christian Estrosi, challenged by the MJS, will intervene in this quintessentially Nice mess?
RM: Christian Estrosi is active daily. I do not think it is necessary to create any tension a few weeks before important elections for France. I have immense respect for Christian Estrosi. I am proud to have him as Minister and President. He embodies the change, hope, and dynamism needed by our department and our city.
NP: Finally, what would you do if you were the President of the UMP?
RM: Committed to the internal democracy of my Movement, I would organize a primary in Nice to designate the person who will represent the UMP in the municipal elections. The nominated candidate must unite all the right-wing forces to champion our values. No other right-wing candidacy would then have legitimacy, except to lose our camp!
Nice Premium: What is your feeling after Jacques Peyrat’s announcement to vote for Le Pen in a second-round presidential election against Ségolène Royal?
Jean-Louis Vidal Revel: This announcement calls for two comments:
– The Mayor of Nice has lost control, and old demons are coming back fast, or:
– Knowing he has no chance of securing a UMP nomination for the upcoming municipal elections, he switches sides once again, counting on the FN’s score in the first round of the Presidential election to legitimize a new direction. Proof of this is the evident satisfaction of the Nice nationalist leader.
In both cases, the people of Nice should be worried:
– In France, the impeachment process does not exist, a simple shortcut unrelated to the subject but that could be clarified.
– The rapprochement maneuver is not yet sufficiently proven for his majority to make a striking move by dissociating themselves from him. I would not like to be in their shoes… Although! I would surely keep company with Gilbert Stellardo, Auguste Vérola, and many others and so would not be concerned, but for some (how many?), there must be a real problem of conscience, at least I hope for them.
For NICE, I am saddened.
NP: In your opinion, why announce this choice a few weeks before the election?
JLVR: Because he counts on a sufficient FN score to position himself without it seeming like an opportunistic flip-flop. He is essentially giving a pledge of loyalty by taking the initiative. It is poignant.
But more seriously, and this is much more severe, it appears to mean that he does not believe in the possibility of Nicolas Sarkozy reaching the second round. What form will his support take then? The question is interesting, the razor’s edge is sharp, the balance will surely break.
NP: Do you think a National Front candidacy could be feasible for Jacques Peyrat in the upcoming Nice municipal elections?
JLVR: Obviously. Same age, same struggle: are the desperate songs not etc.
NP: How should the UMP react to such an announcement?
JLVR: Obviously, that is their problem, it would be easier for me to respond to such a question if it were about the UDF: in which case it would be immediate disavowal and exclusion.
NP: Finally, in the case of a second round between Royal and Le Pen, who would you vote for?
JLVR: Without any doubt, on François BAYROU, you will see!!
Nice Premium: What is your feeling after Jacques Peyrat’s announcement to vote for Le Pen in a second-round presidential election against Ségolène Royal?
Jean-Christophe Picard: Jacques Peyrat’s true face has been revealed. He can no longer deceive the Gaullists of his party. Indeed, he explains to us without any complexes that Jean-Marie Le Pen is part of “those who are closely or distantly related to [his] family”. Obviously, this is not a surprise since, locally, his connections with the elected members of the National Front – from which he originated – have long been an open secret.
NP: In your opinion, why announce this choice a few weeks before the election?
JCP: The mayor of Nice has gotten into the habit of spouting the worst absurdities without anyone from his camp flinching… So, he continues!
NP: Do you think a National Front candidacy could be feasible for Jacques Peyrat in the upcoming municipal elections in Nice?
JCP: Absolutely! His strategy for the next municipal elections is clear: lacking support from the UMP, he will shamelessly seek that of the FN.
NP: How should the UMP react to such an announcement?
JCP: Today, the UMP city councilors cannot continue to bury their heads in the sand. Those who do not leave the majority in the coming days will engage their responsibilities. They will, indeed, be presumed to belong to the disturbing family of Jacques Peyrat.
NP: Finally, in the case of a second round between Royal and Le Pen, who would you vote for?
JCP: I will vote, from the first round, for the candidate of the united left (PS, PRG, and MRC): Ségolène Royal. Moreover, on a national level, as a delegate of the PRG, I had the honor to directly participate in her nomination on November 26, 2006, in Paris. And on a departmental level, I am a member of her campaign committee.
