Following the first election night of the 2026 municipal elections in Nice, the four leading candidates spoke in turn during the evening. Here is a recap of this evening which promises a fierce battle ahead of the second round.
Christian Estrosi calls for broad unity
Before his supporters, Christian Estrosi first thanked the voters who supported him in this first round. The incumbent mayor also emphasized the work done at the head of the city for nearly two decades. “For 18 years, with all my teams, we have transformed this city and made Nice a beacon and symbol of influence on the national and international stage,” he stated, mentioning investments in transport, security, the economy and university projects.
A week before the second round, Christian Estrosi is now calling for broad unity of voters. “I call on all abstainers and all Republicans who made other choices in the first round to mobilize to protect Nice,” declares the candidate for re-election.
The incumbent mayor also warned against a victory for his main opponent. “Nice must remain the city of all Niçois,” he stated, before concluding his speech with a call for unity: “if my slogan for the first round was ‘All for Nice’, that of the second round will be ‘Nice for All.'”
Supporters divided but mobilized
Despite the incumbent mayor’s second place, optimism reigns in the ranks of Christian Estrosi. Several activists present at the election evening do not consider these initial results a failure. Daniel, a supporter, acknowledges some disappointment but remains positive: “he has made Nice a beautiful city, even if there have been mistakes.”
For Gibert, the gap can still be closed: “there will surely be more mobilization in the second round.”
Same sentiment from Claudia, an activist for six years: “it’s not over yet. A ten-point gap is doable. In one week, anything is possible in politics.”
Municipal elections: At Ciotti’s headquarters, an election evening between anticipation and mobilization
At the headquarters of Éric Ciotti, located at Quai des Deux-Emmanuel in Nice, activists, supporters, journalists and residents came to follow the first round of the municipal elections. From the start of the evening, the venue became a nerve center for tracking results.
A giant screen continuously broadcast the BFMTV Nice Côte d’Azur channel, allowing viewers to follow initial estimates and analyses live. Outside, the atmosphere was lively, with supporters gathered in front of the building, some displaying a French flag. Discussions continued as results were gradually published.
Several supporters were present to attend the election evening. Janine, 52, explained she came for reasons related to her daily life, emphasizing her expectations regarding security and cleanliness: “I want more security and cleanliness in the city,” she declared, believing that “the second round remains decisive” and that “nothing is decided yet.” Beside her, David stated: “Nice needs change,” evoking the tragedy of June 14, 2016 and hoping for an evolution he describes as “radical.”
Bernard, 80, a retiree, stated: “it was important for me to be here tonight,” affirming that he has always supported the candidate. André, 86, stressed the importance of mobilization and believed that “trust is essential” for the second round. Michelle, 80, expressed her desire for a change of mayor: “Nice needs a change,” stating that she has supported Éric Ciotti for several years and describing him as “a serious and hardworking man.”
Eric Ciotti: “thank you for your tremendous commitment”
At 8 p.m., Éric Ciotti arrived at the headquarters to follow the results with his team inside the venue. He only emerged at 10 p.m. to address his supporters, amid applause and music accompanying his arrival on stage.
In his address, he first thanked his teams: “thank you for your tremendous commitment,” he declared. Mentioning the partial results. When he announced this score, the crowd reacted with hearty applause and cries of victory, chanting repeatedly: “We won! We won!”
Subsequently, the candidate broadened his remarks to the political significance of the vote. Believing that voters expressed a clear choice, he stated: “my friends, tonight, the people of Nice have clearly placed us at the top of this first round […]They have spoken with clarity and, I believe, from the heart.” According to him, this momentum should enable a new phase: “yes, they have given us the position that should allow us to bring about change, alternation,” specifying that this change is “what the people of Nice are demanding and expecting.”
In conclusion, he expressed his gratitude to his supporters and those involved in the election, hailing “all those who participated in this democratic vote” and believing they enabled “the success of this moment of democracy.”
The evening continued in an atmosphere of mobilization and anticipation, now focused on the second round, whose outcome remains open and likely to reshuffle the local political landscape.
On the left, affirmation and refusal of any alliance
Third in this vote, Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux arrived with 11.93% of the votes. The “Unis pour Nice” candidate ruled out any possibility of an alliance in the second round despite Christian Estrosi’s appeal: “the ballot results mark the failure of outgoing mayor Christian Estrosi’s policies. The rise of the far right is his legacy, he is responsible for it. He cannot be a barrier to a situation he himself created. Eric Ciotti was his companion for 30 years. That is his legacy. So unambiguously, we will remain in the race to offer Nice a dignified alternative. We will maintain our candidacy to restore the image of our city, so damaged by this fratricidal war.”
The leading candidate wishes to continue mobilization and represent change in the city: “I want to tell the people of Nice that next Sunday we can finally change our city. Nice has always been a city that does not resign itself, that does not let others dictate its future. From Catherine Séranon to Simone Veil, through Giuseppe Garibaldi, we Niçois have shown that we know how to resist nauseating ideologies.
This Sunday, March 22, the only Republican barrier is the union of the left and the greens. The alternative to this fratricidal duel is the left. The possibility of making Nice affordable, livable, safe and solidarity-based is with the left.”
Mireille Damiano cautiously extends her hand
The candidate of Nice Popular Front, Mireille Damiano, who finished 4th with 8.95% of the votes, is no longer in contention for the municipal elections. A surprise given the polls that had given her a slightly higher score. However, the leading candidate hailed the implantation of the radical left “particularly in the most working-class neighborhoods,” while regretting high abstention which does not allow us to reach 10%. The leading candidate calls for “unity and resistance” against the duel of the extreme right and the far right, the radical left […] The confrontation between Eric Ciotti and Christian Estrosi dominated this vote. Strategic voting against the extreme right and far right reduces the left to 21%.” An overture toward an alliance with the left-wing union: “as we have said from the start, regardless of the configuration, we maintain our desire to enable a dynamic of resistance by presenting a united front of the left and the greens in the second round. This is now only possible if Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux takes the initiative.”
Statements collected by Théo Guitonny, Diane Roustan and Kévin Sanchez
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