Marie-Christine Arnautu will indeed be the National Front’s candidate in Nice for the 2014 municipal election. She, supported by Jean-Marie Le Pen, narrowly edged out the candidate chosen by Marine Le Pen, Robert Ripoll, a Nice-based accountant who was considering forming a joint list with the Identitaires of Philippe Vardon.
In recent months, two names had been mentioned to challenge this UMP stronghold: initially, Gaël Nofri, the local head of Rassemblement Bleu Marine, but he was sidelined by the leader of the FN, followed by Bruno Gollnisch, a member of the European Parliament, who ultimately chose to withdraw.
For Marie-Christine Arnautu, “It’s a wonderful adventure that’s beginning, I will meet with activists next week and I’ll move to Nice while continuing my duties as vice-president of the National Front in charge of social affairs.”
The objective is clear: “Given the context, Nice is winnable.”
Marie-Christine Arnautu rules out any joint list in the first round with the Identitaires of Philippe Vardon:
“I want to send a clear message. The nation is at the heart of our concern. The Identitaires advocate for regionalism and a federal Europe. We do not agree. But we could join forces in the second round.”
Marie-Christine Arnautu, not yet settled in Nice, is already criticizing the policy of Christian Estrosi, the UMP deputy mayor. “The level of taxation and spending is indecent.
In Nice, it’s somewhat a frenzy of grandeur and oversized projects. Like the tramway work, while a dedicated bus lane system would be much cheaper. The financing of the large stadium also raises questions.”
Philippe Vardon’s response, leader of Nissa Rebela’s Identitaires, was swift:
“Everyone knows my principled hostility towards ‘parachuting,’ fully consistent with the positions I have always defended.
That being said, I certainly take note of this decision.
I, however, have no principled hostility towards Ms. Arnautu,
whom I know little – and who evidently knows us quite poorly too
if I judge by her initial statements, especially regarding our political stance.
I remind that for the Identitaires, the only alternative to the Estrosi clique is the RALLY. This should allow putting together, in the same project, and thus the same list, people from the National Front, the Identitaires, as well as Jacques Peyrat and his team.”
