The municipal councilor reflects on what he perceives as a “betrayal” since he lost his delegations to cinema and animal protection a month ago in Nice.
In Henry-Jean Servat’s office on the fourth floor of the Nice town hall, nothing has changed, no boxes in sight, all his sentimental trinkets and collectible items are displayed and cheerfully piled up. These are traces of a life spent mingling with the jet-set and animals. The passion exudes from the walls.
Henry-Jean Servat, a friend of stars and best friend to animals, entered politics three years ago to work for the animal cause. He was then elected on Christian Estrosi’s list. On June 21 and 22, the mayor of Nice withdrew his two delegations, one to cinema and the other to animal protection, one after the other. The Nice mayor cited a “break in trust”.
Henry-Jean Servat made critical remarks in an interview, particularly against the city’s cultural policy. He did not agree with the majority he belongs to on the demolition of the TNN, the statues of Richard Orlinski, or the “woke” trend of the Nice Opera. Since then, a wave of support has persisted on his social networks. Meanwhile, the elected official requested his functions be reinstated, but received radio silence from the municipality, which seems to have turned the page on this affair.
However, he continues to act by other means. He notably intervened via the Brigitte Bardot Foundation to ensure that sheep found crammed into an apartment in Nice during the period of Eid were given to sanctuaries.
How are you doing since you lost your two delegations almost a month ago?
To be honest, I’m doing well. I remain a bit stunned by the brutality and injustice of what happened and I find it a true betrayal. A betrayal made to the animals, not to me, my fate in the matter doesn’t matter.
I came to Nice at the invitation of Christian Estrosi solely to take care of the animals and cinema, not for money, nor for photos, nor for honors. I came to really work and I did work, proof is in the results. I am very shocked by the turn it has taken. If someone is ridiculous in this affair, it is not me.
Do you have any regrets?
I have plenty of things to do; I’ve ten years of work ahead of me. What I regret is for the animals. Cinema can still live without me, but animals struggle. What pleases me in the overflow of support I received is that people recognized the authenticity and sincerity of my approach. What I like is that people understood that there was in Nice—a city not particularly famous for loving animals—a genuine desire to improve the plight of animals.
Everyone believed, myself first, that we were really going to be able to change things, starting from Nice, that we were going to give people hope. I particularly blame the mayor of Nice because he shattered this dream. I’m involved in an immeasurable, unthinkable, unqualifiable betrayal against the animals.
At the time you made the remarks that did you harm, did you have any inkling of the consequences?
Review my remarks from the beginning. Do I have the slightest derogatory term about the mayor of Nice? Absolutely not, not about his team, not about anything. I am used to doing television programs, having a straightforward manner and then I didn’t think that in Nice freedom of speech was shackled. I am the first surprised to see that you can’t say the statues are ugly, especially since they are ugly; 67% of the people of Nice find them ugly according to a survey by Nice-Presse. Moreover, at first, I expressed my regrets and then I apologized. I insist, I find that there is a betrayal made to animals.
When I expressed my apologies and regrets, I swear, I set aside my ego for the animals and I faced people who set aside nothing at all. I will never provoke controversy. I don’t even want to know that this story existed. People judge what I did, what I said. I leave it to the people of Nice to be the judges of how they appreciate the situation.
Do you plan to resign from the municipal council?
Someone from the team told me: “Henry-Jean, it’s not you I wish courage to, it’s us because the whole team will have you on our hands for another three years like Captain Haddock’s band-aid. We won’t be able to get rid of you.”
I think they thought I would leave, but of course not, I will not leave. I owe a debt to the animals, and I will not abandon them. Cinema is different. It’s sad that Nice lets cinema decline, but what I find unbearable is that animals could be mistreated. I will never resign.
What is the nature of your current relations with the municipality after this “break in trust”?
The dialogue was cut off from the beginning because when this story happened, the mayor called me after the publication of my comments. We spoke on the phone rather nicely. Since then, I’ve had no contact. It’s been a month, no one has called me. I know I will be removed from my office, I find that absolutely scandalous.
I want to work for the animals, I want to take care of cinema. My delegations have been taken away, I can’t do anything anymore. I’ve been offered hands. There’s a far-right group (editor’s note: Retrouver Nice) that proposed I join them, they are not my political ideas. Everyone, even in cities close to Nice, has offered a hand. I will therefore accept projects elsewhere.
Have you been able to exchange with those who received your delegations?
There is one person I like a lot, he has a lot of work, and he will have too much with the animals, it’s Richard Chemla. He called me, he came to see me, he’s an absolutely wonderful guy. I have all the sympathy in the world and great friendship for him. Aside from that, I have contact with no one.
When you want to work with people, and they don’t respond to you, they close their shutters, they don’t respond to texts, messages, or letters, it’s impossible. For instance, it was still me, with part of the Cinémathèque team, who created the program for the Quai de la Douane screenings. I am not allowed to present the films, I know them by heart and can talk about them for 25 minutes before the screening without notes. You really have to be silly to do that.
You said in Nice Matin, “What made me love Nice is Estrosi”; now that the situation is as it is, would engaging in politics elsewhere be a possibility for you?
I will not deny what I said but I think it’s Estrosi who does not love me. He made me love Nice because he spoke well of it. But I will not cling to someone who no longer wants me to love him.
However, I am not stopping. I had very clear projects and objectives. I wanted Nice to become the capital of animal welfare in Europe. I have the same ideas in mind, so I will continue. Since I no longer have power, I’ve been offered means to continue doing what I was doing differently. I would have loved to keep doing it with the municipality, but they didn’t want to. They cut ties, so I’m taking note and will look elsewhere by necessity and a desire to continue acting.
What assessment do you make of these three years working with the majority?
The assessment is not mine to give. Of course, I am pleased with myself, but it is for others to say. I am not from Nice; I am adopted by choice, which is even stronger because I chose to live in Nice. On the streets of the city, I am stopped every three meters, perhaps because I’ve done television shows but also to say congratulations to me.
One in two people from Nice has a pet, and people are happy. There are two beaches where they can take them; I wanted to make a third. There are many green spaces where dogs can go. They can be taken in trams, in offices; these are my ideas. The city hall followed, but these are Henry-Jean Servat’s ideas. I am proud of my assessment. I regret that the wings of this dream have been clipped.
What are the most urgent battles in your eyes that you would like to bring attention to?
There are two things that move me the most. There are slaughterhouse animals. I haven’t eaten animals for a long time thanks to Brigitte Bardot; she converted me. Every day, animals are killed in an appalling way, it’s atrocious.
And the other thing I think about is street cats. I wished the French government would declare a national cat day. The more they are allowed to proliferate, the unhappier they will be. All cats should be sterilized to stop this proliferation.
What can we wish for you for the future?
That the wind of hope born in Nice continues to sweep across Europe! I will be running for the European elections on the Animalist Party list. My commitment has not weakened. I am writing four books, making two documentaries. I am preparing exhibitions. Wish me luck in the work I hadn’t had time to do until now. And then, what I wish for the city of Nice is that there is a wind of tolerance and freedom.
