Nice-Premium: We saw your name appear twice in a row in Nice Matin. The regional daily accuses you of having sent emails to the officials of the city of Nice commenting on the survey conducted on Nice Matin and criticizing Christian Estrosi’s candidacy. What is the truth? Are these accusations founded?
Gaël Nofri: Of course not!
I indeed wrote a communiqué—which, by the way, was not covered in any article—under my signature, and sent it to only one list of eight editorial offices, including Nice-Matin and Nice Premium. This communiqué was never sent by the Entente Républicaine, nor was it distributed to the municipal employees. I don’t know where all this story is coming from. I just regret that the newspaper did not see fit to verify its sources when the time came, and that today, it believes it’s exempt from correcting the information and publishing a Right of Reply. If these weren’t serious accusations, I would surely laugh about it…
NP: What are the possible recourses?
GN: I briefly considered legal action since it’s evident that this is defamation, and the fact that they did not publish the Right of Reply I sent them, even though it’s a legal obligation, would have likely worked in my favor. But, all of this for not much in the end. No, I’ve widely distributed my response thanks to my blog, and for the rest, we’ll see; I am convinced that in the end, everything gets resolved!
NP: Haven’t you been a victim of both your youth and your multiple activities as one of the main supporters of Senator Mayor Jacques Peyrat, local representative of the RPF of Charles Pasqua, a member of the Republican alliance, and President of Nice Génération Espoir?
GN: If I answered “yes,” as I would be tempted to do intuitively, it could be interpreted as:
* “yes” to the use of the word ‘victim,’ which would imply illicit and immoral behavior from the article’s editors…
* “yes” to the fact that I was attacked because I am young, meaning they would have tried to exploit a position of weakness or perceived weakness…
* “yes” to the political motivation of these attacks, and there, it would clearly mean that political intentions and shared interests drive this whole affair…
Let’s just say that the elections are coming, and I have no intention of changing my stance, so they are trying to prepare me for the winter. I am young, but I have been in politics long enough now to know what to expect in the coming months.
Yes, I intend to engage in the upcoming debate, but in the debate of ideas, in a confrontation around projects and arguments, for Nice and its future. I do not think it is good to slip into this kind of risky slope, far from the general interest, anyway, I am sure that I, who have done nothing illegal, am not the one with the most to lose debating the morality of local politics!
NP: Beyond this controversy, isn’t it rather an additional clash between Jacques Peyrat and his close associates and Nice Matin?
I do not speak for Jacques Peyrat, I know he has responded himself to Nice-Matin by mail. In truth, I would find it normal if this article was not the one that has caught his attention the most recently!
