The first round of municipal elections in Nice revealed a contrasting political landscape. Three lists remain in contention for the second round, while four others are eliminated. The positions taken by eliminated candidates now outline a fragmented political field. These choices influence the dynamics between the two rounds in a city where abstention reached 46.42%.
Last Sunday’s first round placed the list led by Eric Ciotti in the lead with 43.43% of votes cast. Christian Estrosi follows with 30.92%. Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux completes the qualified trio with 11.93%.
Cédric Vella’s clear support for Eric Ciotti
Cédric Vella, candidate from the list À la reconquête de Nice, quickly clarified his position. On BFM Côte d’Azur, he stated this morning that he wanted to “turn the page on Macronism in Nice and especially the Estrosi system and Eric Ciotti has come to position himself now to be able to win. That is why I am personally offering my support to be able to turn this page. So I will vote this Sunday, March 22 for Eric Ciotti and I call on all people who share the same conviction as me, namely to turn this page, to do the same and to offer their support to Eric Ciotti.”
A choice that reflects a logic of breaking with the outgoing majority. Cédric Vella is the only eliminated candidate to issue a voting directive in favor of a list still in the running for Nice’s mayorship and offers a clear positioning to his electorate, marked by a desire for local political change.
Nice Direct Democracy refuses any voting directive
The list Nice Direct Democracy, led by Céline Forjonnel, adopts a different stance. During her press conference, the team indicated that they had been approached by all candidates qualified for the second round but that it was not possible to issue a voting directive. The movement’s approach is based on individual freedom and a participatory logic. The candidate explains that this choice would be “inconsistent” with their project.
The movement nevertheless draws a positive assessment of its campaign. The 2.24% obtained is seen as a foundation for the future. The team mentions the continuation of citizen assemblies and the desire to strengthen a local dynamic based on direct participation. The internal diversity of the list is highlighted as a structuring element. The movement is already looking ahead to the next municipal elections, with an internal selection process similar to this year’s.
Regarding the current campaign, the party believes that the continuation of Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux’s list “leaves a democratic option.” It considers that Eric Ciotti’s refusal to debate is part of a strategy, while questioning the real usefulness of exchanges broadcast during the campaign.
Nice Popular Front criticizes Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux’s decision and calls for mobilization
The Nice Popular Front list, which obtained 8.95%, expresses a more offensive position. The party thanked its voters and emphasizes its progress in several working-class neighborhoods. However, the movement regrets not having reached the 10% threshold allowing for a merger.
The party believes that a union with the United for Nice list would have been possible. It considers that Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux’s refusal prevents the formation of a common front. In a statement, the co-candidates mention “the sole will of Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux and her co-candidates” and denounce a decision that “thus deprives 10,767 female and male voters […] of being represented in the municipal council.”
The list now calls on voters to mobilize “according to their conscience” to “block the far right.” It also announces new initiatives in the coming weeks to continue its activism.
A between-rounds period under political tension
The choices of eliminated candidates show diverging orientations. Between clear support for Eric Ciotti, an assumed neutrality, and a call for mobilization against the far right, these positions structure a fractured political landscape where every voice counts.
The second round will take place in a context marked by significant abstention (46.42%). Voters from eliminated lists represent a decisive pool that could weigh on the election outcome just as much as the choice of abstainers to go to the polls.
In this climate, Renaud Muselier has spoken. The President of the South Region recalls that “the first round confirmed there was no wave of extremes” while calling for vigilance. He emphasizes that “the risk of certain ones tipping is real” in municipalities still undecided and therefore calls for “a great rally of voters behind responsible candidates who are able to win against the extremes, particularly in Nice.”
This statement places the Azure Coast capital at the center of a broader political issue, where the second round goes beyond the municipal framework alone to become a moment of territorial mobilization.
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