Nice Premium: We are just a few days away from the first round. How do you feel about your campaign on the ground now that the end is approaching? Was it not too long?
Muriel Marland Militello: No, because the time for action is very short, and Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign momentum has galvanized us all. His proposals strike a fair balance between all the values that cement our Republic (authority – freedom, repression – prevention, security – fraternity, promotion on merit – solidarity…). He has managed to unite all the forces on the right and tomorrow, he will undoubtedly be able to bring together the French people while respecting their diversity. This campaign is rich and exciting. It will continue until June 17 because Nicolas Sarkozy will need a strong parliamentary majority to govern.
NP: What have been the reactions of the people of Nice you have met to the recent comments made by your candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, which were controversially reported in the press?
MMM: Quite good because the people of Nice like politicians who speak clearly and do not tolerate evasiveness. They appreciated that Nicolas Sarkozy raised the issue of suicide prevention and the repression of pedophilia. He simply stated that, alongside social and family causes, scientists had told him that every human being carries predispositions to certain behaviors and, as a responsible person, he questioned how we could prevent the risks that this posed to others. These sensitive topics deserve consideration. The political manipulation by the left and center did not work because the people of Nice are not fooled.
NP: Some have proposed a UDF/PS union to counter Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP. What is your response to this?
MMM: What PS? There is no possible union with a PS that is so divided on the subject. There are only some poorly placed personal ambitions. Artificial political combinations do not interest me. While some are navigating without direction, we have a course, a massive union with ambitions for our country based on fundamental values: freedom, merit, and social justice; unlike the fake UDF/PS union without substance based solely on disparate oppositions, our union is founded on a real community of thought and governance methods.
NP: According to polls, there are still a lot of undecided voters or many who do not speak out. What do you want to tell them 5 days before the election?
MMM: The only right-wing and center candidate who will have a strong parliamentary majority and can govern transparently is Nicolas Sarkozy. Hence, he is the only one who can implement the program he proposes: a fair balance between state authority and the freedom of initiatives. He is also the only candidate who speaks clearly and precisely about his projects and the means to achieve them.
He is the only candidate who can revalue work, enable everyone to be a homeowner, establish a guaranteed minimum service in transport, institute true equality of opportunity, trigger an ecological revolution, be tougher on offenders, allow the transmission of wealth from parents to children, and control immigration. With him, we will move from a society of fear to a society of hope.
NP: And to the new registrants, especially from the suburbs of 06?
MMM: Nicolas Sarkozy is the only candidate who proposes, for those suffering from insecurity, a just balance between prevention of delinquency (support for families in difficulty, after-school support for young people) and repression (minimum sentences for repeat offenders and revision of the 1945 ordinance for minors). For those who want to succeed despite life’s challenges, Nicolas Sarkozy is the only one proposing to support them with his proposals on affirmative action, promotion in terms of initial and ongoing training, and also by promoting the establishment of businesses in these neighborhoods to make them like any other areas.
NP: The polls seem to be closing in for both the first and second rounds. What do you think?
MMM: There is a consistency in the confidence that the French place in Nicolas Sarkozy, and indeed all the polls show Nicolas Sarkozy winning (or sometimes tied) in both the first and second rounds, which stirs all kinds of jealousy and dishonest partisan attacks.
NP: What are you doing until Sunday?
MMM: As usual, I am out on the field exchanging with my fellow citizens of Nice. I listen to their concerns and hopes and note how many see hope together with Nicolas Sarkozy. On Wednesday evening, we are organizing a large departmental public meeting at 19:00 at the Leyrit hall in the presence of Christian Estrosi and Jean-Claude Gaudin. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I am organizing the 72-hour operation in my constituency to show our strength in mobilization. Until the last minute, I will be actively campaigning for Nicolas Sarkozy. I do it for the people of Nice, for my country France because I know how important the stakes are.
