Marie-Christine Arnautu (FN/NBM), Christian Estrosi (UMP), Patrick Allemand (PS) and the Peyrat/Icart duo (DvD) currently make up the starting grid for the upcoming municipal elections in Nice, which will be held on Sunday, March 23, and 30. However, it seems almost certain that the lineup is not yet finalized…
In this new electoral grand prix, the incumbent mayor, Christian Estrosi, occupies a comfortable pole position, unsurprisingly reinforced by a recent record bolstered by achievements like the Allianz Riviera and the Promenade du Paillon.
Behind him, on the second row, Marie-Christine Arnautu and Patrick Allemand are eager to engage in future debates. For the socialist candidate, the fight will play out “underground,” criticizing the cost of the upcoming tramway line, while for the Front National candidate, the focus will be more on insecurity in the heart of the city and its outskirts.
On the third and final row, the new duo Jacques Peyrat/Jean-Auguste Icart seems to have already set its primary target: Christian Estrosi. Meanwhile, the Left Front will present communist Robert Injey, who will have two targets: the same Christian Estrosi on the local level and also the government’s policy on the national level. We are also waiting for the result of the Green Party’s internal poll, which will decide whether to join forces with the PS in the first round or try their chances solo. Finally, the disappearance of Philippe Vardon after the farce of the true/false registration in Marine Le Pen’s movement is notable.
All opponents have one common point: the city’s and metropolitan area’s debt (one being linked to the other), with the incumbent mayor accused of squandering public money!
Nonetheless, a question remains a few months before the elections: will another party show up at the starting line?
Of course, there is talk of many warm-ups by local officials, who, having been sidelined from their political formations, imagine themselves on a potential new list, perhaps even at the head of it, probably to settle some scores against the background of an electoral campaign.
Olivier Bettati and Benoît Kandel or Marc Concas and Jean-Christophe Picard… So many names who are no longer in good standing with Christian Estrosi for the first two or with Patrick Allemand for the other two. Rumors and whispers speak, of course, of lunches, dinners, and other more or less formal meetings but, for now, nothing is confirmed, and even less suggested by any of the four local political figures. The most difficult decision to make usually remains the same: Who will be number 1?
If this hypothesis turns out to be true, it would be quite difficult for anyone to say which position this new setup should take on the starting line. Right-wing and left-wing politicians and a list composed of Nice public figures could cause the second row of the PS and FN to see a new entrant without political coloring.
But the days are flying, and to hope to emerge victorious from the “qualifications,” one certainly shouldn’t wait too long for fear of not having the time to build a real candidate identity. A false start is a significant risk for young politicians who might risk burning the wings where there is still a bit of fluff.
In short, the engines are already revving in the pits, and it’s a safe bet that the first warm-up laps will be most interesting in the days to come. It remains to choose the right team, the right tires, and, above all, to avoid a crash!
