Democracy is the participation of citizens in public life, but it is also the law of numbers, as Pythagoras said.
It is not easy to oppose when you are 3 against 56 (as Christian Estrosi constantly reminds him with a hint of disdain during Council debates): you just have the right to voice your opinion before being rebutted… and the manner is sometimes insolent!
So, if you can’t tear down the wall, common sense advises trying to go around it; success is not guaranteed but, at least, you can claim the merit of having tried.
Heavily defeated in electoral politics in the 2014 municipal elections, Patrick Allemand turned towards participatory politics with his association Nice au Coeur, an evocative name for a citizen platform where joining the Socialist Party is not a prerequisite.
The goal? Discussing communal problems, criticizing and opposing decisions that do not serve the citizens’ interests, and proposing solutions.
The method? Proximity to mobilize citizen dynamics using communication and participation tools (internet, ad hoc meetings, petitions).
It is in this context that Patrick Allemand made an initial assessment of this initiative, launched at the beginning of 2016, which today has over 400 members.
It was also an occasion to recall some events that marked the city’s life in this unparalleled year, with the date of July 14 forever evoking mourning rather than the joy and pride of the Republic’s celebration.
Are the results there? Honestly, nothing has really changed regarding the grip of the municipal majority and its close circles on the city’s management. A few petitions that never reach their goal and some Municipal Council wishes regularly rejected do not change the situation.
In its action, Nice au Coeur is little more than a “flatus vocis,” and sometimes you need to strain your ears to hear the sound.
But at least, on certain issues, the debate has moved out of its formal framework and administrative perimeter and onto the streets: wasn’t the ‘agorà’ the place for citizen participation in public life in the city that invented democracy?
And, after all, what can oppose authoritarian dirigism if not participation? To opacity if not transparency? And to the arrogance of force if not republican values and respect for rules?
