Nice-Premiere: Can you tell our readers, “I am officially a candidate for the 2008 municipal elections”?
Jean-Christophe Picard: “I am officially a candidate for the 2008 municipal elections.” As you can see, I am not contrary!
N-P: The Senator Mayor has declared his candidacy for re-election. A candidacy that you have judged not credible. Can you explain the lack of credibility in Jacques Peyrat’s announcement?
J-C P: Besides the fact that he will be 77 years old in 2008, he is, today, undeniably burdened by “affairs” and severely criticized by his own camp. This declaration is a headlong rush that deceives no one. On the contrary, after the sidelining of Gilbert STELLARDO, the flight of Jean MASSÉNA, the forced resignations of Dominique MONLEAU and Daniel le DEUNFF, and his numerous quarrels with his running mates, it is not at all certain that he will be able to keep enough people to last until the end of his term… especially since it was pushed back by a year! The reign of Jacques PEYRAT is thus inexorably coming to an end.
N-P: According to you, who will be a candidate in 2008?
J-C P: Honestly, it’s hard to say because the results of the 2007 legislative elections (which will themselves be conditioned by those of the presidential election) could change the game. The only candidacy I’m sure of is mine!
N-P: Patrick Mottard, in our columns, felt he was in a position to win. Do you share this feeling? How can the left win?
J-C P: No one can win alone! It is important to remember that this is a plurinominal election. In Nice, there will need to be 68 people behind the first. However, most political formations make the same mistake: they focus on the head of the list and pay no attention to the others… However, managing a city of 350,000 inhabitants is not a solitary exercise. The mayor will need to rely on devoted, competent, and available deputies. In short, it’s less about the name of the head of the list than the quality of his team. Our list, “Together Differently,” which includes the Radical Party of the Left and the Independent Ecologist Movement, is the only one to have understood this. We launched it, back in June 2004, precisely because we know it takes time to train future elected officials.
N-P: The campaign for 2008 seems to be launched. Isn’t it too early? Isn’t this a reflection of politicking? Responsibility of the media or politicians?
J-C P: No, it’s not too early. If we were the first to launch a list, it’s because we considered that the worrying state in which our city found itself imposed on us to start working without delay. Moreover, training future officials and restoring trust with the citizens takes time.
