Marc Concas was a leading figure in the local Socialist Party. In his achievements, he even managed to defeat a certain Eric Ciotti in the 2008 cantonal election, forcing Ciotti into a political maneuver to become a general councilor and, subsequently, president of the General Council.
Then, he asked the Socialist Party to organize primaries to elect the candidate for the mayor of Nice (last March’s election).
The refusal from the national leadership—allegedly influenced by the local leadership—and some dirty tricks, pushed him to leave and engage in a citizen’s approach to political participation outside traditional parties.
Now a municipal councilor, while retaining his seat on the General Council, he wants to do politics differently.
How? He explains it himself in the interview below.
Nice Premium: As a local representative at the municipal and departmental level, what is your perspective on the general politics of Nice and its region?
Marc Concas: I have an extremely critical view of both the Nice municipal council and the Alpes-Maritimes General Council. Mr. Estrosi and Mr. Ciotti both practice spectacle politics, excessive communication, and political activism that is not in service of the general interest but of their political careers. Meanwhile, the finances of the communities they manage are in the red.
NP: As a left-wing person, you left the Socialist Party during this spring’s municipal elections to join an atypical political movement and were elected on an independent civic list featuring people from the right. Is this a personal choice or a new vision of political representation?
Marc Concas: The approach I initiated during the municipal elections, which aims to bring together personalities from the right, left, center, and civil society, is the approach for the future.
France suffers from its perpetual quarrels and constant clashes, full of snappy statements and outbursts— a spectacle far removed from our citizens’ concerns. I am convinced that what we have achieved in Nice, with men and women of goodwill, can be replicated nationwide.
NP: As an opponent to the Mayor of Nice and the President of the General Council, both from the right, how do you handle being in opposition? In your view, how should opposition behave knowing it is and will be in the minority?
Marc Concas: Opposition must inherently be constructive. We must resolutely oppose projects that go against our citizens’ interests but also support those that serve the general interest.
It is possible to be in opposition and to voice strong opinions that can push back the majority when it goes in the wrong direction. Some emblematic examples: stopping the Nice Port extension project, preserving the facade of the South Train Station, halting the tramway on the Promenade des Anglais… An opposition member must know how to react quickly in urgent situations. This led me to lead the coalition for another Tramway Line 2, which firmly opposes the underground tunnel, right from the announcement of the DUP by the Prefect, which I challenged in the Administrative Court. We will plead before the Administrative Court of Appeal in MARSEILLE on November 7, 2014… I do not forget that I am the general councilor of the district (Old Nice and Port) that has benefited from the most beautification work in the whole city of Nice. This proves that an opposition elected official is useful to their community and neighborhood.
NP: What do you consider the most serious negative situations in the management of the local right at the level of Nice and the Metropolis?
Marc Concas: The debt of the communities is the most concerning part because it hinders the development of our territory. As for the crushing failures of the local right, I would highlight the most striking examples: the inability to establish a high-speed line, the OIN of the Var plain, which is currently just a communication operation and puts this part of the department in competition with Sophia Antipolis, a Metropolis that divides the Alpes-Maritimes department with which there will be fierce competition during the territorial reform discussion, unfulfilled promises of a free bypass road in NICE, the stagnating Nice prison dossier…
NP: What is your relationship with your former political party? Do you regret your choice to do politics differently? What is the future of the left in this right-leaning area?
Marc Concas: I have no contact with the Socialist Party, but I still have many friends there. Every day that passes confirms that my choice was the right one. The PS and UMP suffer from their restrictive ideological frameworks because they prevent any dialogue and merely exclude militants and elected officials who refuse to fall in line.
The left has a promising future in this area because everything needs to be rebuilt, with a new generation of militants and elected officials, less sectarian, open to dialogue, and above all more concerned with the general interest than their own political careers. The work ahead is immense. Just as immense as the work that should lead us to the 6th Republic.
