The inauguration on February 21st seems to have stuck in the throat of the former mayor of Nice, Jacques Peyrat, who recalls a version of events that, according to him, was not the one presented to the residents of Nice.
Jacques Peyrat explains: “Several weeks ahead of the inauguration of the Pasteur 2 Hospital, which is still not finished after more than seven years of construction and delays, Mr. Estrosi organized, on February 21st, with much pomp and intensive communication, the handover of the keys to a complex that is not even completed yet. This is once again a totally electoral operation that I firmly denounce, as it is profoundly shameful.”
However, as he had already noted through a press release last week: “Furthermore, it is totally scandalous that Mr. Estrosi once again claims the authorship of a project that was initiated and launched when I was Mayor, specifically during my second term from 2001 to 2008. Indeed, it was not Mr. Estrosi who negotiated with the Minister of Health for the necessary funding for this 100,000 m2 hospital, which will bring together 3,000 healthcare professionals, 500 beds, 20 operating rooms, and 3 MRIs. Moreover, Mr. Estrosi, despite being a Minister at that time, remained completely silent and inactive on the matter.”
Clearly, it’s a real close marking strategy that the former mayor of Nice has decided to employ against his successor. The resentment is tenacious, and revenge is always a dish best served cold.
With less than 30 days to go before the first round on March 23rd, the battles are likely to be fierce in this new municipal war.