This Wednesday, April 13, 2011, at the Mediterranean University Center, as part of the 2011 territorial reform, the Community Council met exceptionally. We even had the pleasure of a romantic title for this event: “45 municipalities choose to unite their future between the sea and the mountains.”
Technically, there was only one resolution on the agenda, concerning the creation of a Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis through the merger of the Nice Côte d’Azur Urban Community and the 3 community associations of Vésubie, Tinée, and the Mercantour stations, as well as the inclusion of the municipality of La Tour-sur-Tinée.
The Community Council voted, with a few abstentions and 6 votes against, on the project which will expand the perimeter of the new legal entity from 27 to 45 municipalities, including a city of 350,000 inhabitants for a total of more than 500,000 inhabitants. It was a marathon evening, with a majority largely in favor of the proposal, marked by the “talkativeness” of Christian Estrosi in a state of oratory “inebriation” (definition by philosopher Michel Onfray). He authored two greatly rhetorical interventions of more than half an hour each, the rest revealing the intellectual poverty of the debate (opponents and supporters alike), each reciting a somewhat overly predetermined script.
Nice-Premium sought the opinion of a few opposition party representatives present in the audience
Fabien Benard (MoDem): “Don’t talk to me about proximity without making me smile. Without going so far as to compare “the edelweiss to the palms, the gobi to the chamois,” as the still-leader of the socialist opposition did so well this morning, the rush of the schedule is surprising. Synchronizing the agenda of 45 mayors and about a hundred community elected officials cannot be easy. But ultimately, I wonder what the head of the departmental executive thinks about it, with another assembly meeting on Friday morning? It is a fact that the Metropolis will substitute itself through its competencies at the General Council… I will be a vigilant observer of this process, determining for the future of our territories.”
Marc Concas (PS): “Christian Estrosi’s strategy seems clear to me. Acting immediately after the cantonal elections during which the subject was not raised to avoid a sanction vote, and before the departure of Prefect Lamy to quickly advance the procedure to form the Metropolis in order to finish before the presidential election. At that point, his position will be strong because he will be the ‘Lord’ of a vast territory. All of this stems from a calculation and a forecast: he will be the Left’s candidate to become President of the Republic and the future Government will then be faced with a fait accompli, with all the difficulties that come with changing things. In any case, it is a maneuver with the sole objective of the interest of one person and their clan. With this act, Christian Estrosi shows the face of a medieval baron, master of his lordship by applying the rule ‘cuius regio, eius religio’.”
The reform of local governments will be effective after 2014.
Nice Metropolis will be, by its perimeter and competencies, a mini-autonomous territory. What will remain of this amputated Alpes-Maritimes department, with a Metropolis at the center and two other territories, one to the west (Antibes and Cannes) and the other to the east (the Menton area)?
Why all this without debate and at great speed?
After the failed annexation of the CARF last year, is it a new attempt to force through or a “rendezvous with history” as announced by its future President last night?
