The setting, unusual yet very attractive, will be the forecourt of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has already been mentioned in previous editions of Nice-Premium due to the legal dispute between the managing association and the Federation of the Russian Republic*.
The organization of the event is also an opportunity to get to know Olivier Bettati better and to ask this friendly and ‘bubbly’ forty-something a few questions about his political commitment and his passion for wine.
‘I will not comment on the situation of the Russian Orthodox Church because, as you can surely imagine, it is a very complex issue. What I hope for is that this place of worship will always remain available to the faithful but also to visitors because this church is one of the most beautiful ‘gems’ of Nice tourism.’
Nice-Premium: You are, in a way, the Mayor of one of the territories of Nice. The Mayor has entrusted you with a heavy responsibility.
Olivier Bettati: The Territory of the Hills covers 1166 hectares and about 40 thousand people. Yes, it’s a medium-sized city. My primary goal is to play an intermediary role between people and their needs and the administration. I believe the greatest quality of a politician is to listen to others. I love politics for that reason.
N-P: Can you enlighten us on your elected career path?
O.B: You see, behind my desk, I keep an electoral poster from 1989. That was the first time I ran, although the Mayor at the time, the late Jacques Médecin, placed me in an ineligible position. It is true that back then I was still in high school. Since then, my commitment has been uninterrupted. I have been a municipal councilor since 1991 and a general councilor since 1993. A long tenure.
N-P: Always proud of your beliefs?
O.B: I’ll tell you. I’m not in politics to assert ideological beliefs. Of course, there are political families to which one belongs and others that are not yours. But there is not right on one side and wrong on the other. And I come back to what I have already said: “politics is above all a question of people.” My family was Gaullist, and I always appreciated the social orientation of General De Gaulle’s politics; I speak of it from a historical perspective since my age prevented me from knowing him. But I also appreciated the availability and openness of President Chirac, a man of great friendliness who knew how to interpret people’s sensibility to transform it into a political project.
N-P: You mention Jacques Chirac? What do you think of Dominique de Villepin’s initiative, who in a few days will found a political movement and who wants to position himself in the wake of General De Gaulle and Jacques Chirac’s political heritage?
O.B: I think that in politics, any initiative aimed at submitting to popular suffrage through election is welcome. It is always an enrichment of democratic life. Furthermore, I think Dominique de Villepin has the charisma and an intellectual path that allows him to position himself as a leading actor: it will be up to the French to say if they want that or not.
N-P: We have also talked about your passion for wine, a passion that has become a profession. An atypical path…
O.B: Oh yes, more than atypical. I’ve always had a passion for wine, and a few years ago (4 years), I had the opportunity to buy a few hectares in Saint-Roman de Bellet. It resulted from a professional choice. I left the engineering company where I worked and embarked on this adventure, discovering, at the same time, a world I thought I knew. Result: lots of worries and dedication to acquire the necessary skills. Today I am happy with this decision; I have 2 hectares out of 5 that produce a good wine (Clos Nicea: red, rosé, and white), I have expansion plans, and I aim to produce 8,000 bottles per year compared to 1,500 currently. I take this opportunity to say that all this was possible thanks to the support of my wife, whom I thank. I am newly married with two little girls after being a confirmed bachelor, and I am very happy to share my life with someone who understood my aspirations for a different life compared to the traditional one. I really enjoy recharging by driving my tractor in the middle of the vineyards and in nature.
N.P: Your future goals in politics? Every elected official has ambitions…
O.B: You know, my goal is to continue my activity in the service of the people of Nice. I am a child of immigration and a prototype of a ‘bastardo’ (bastard)! My paternal grandparents were Italians from the Parma region, emigrated to Argentina, and then returned to Europe, here on the Coast. My maternal grandmother married a British soldier met during the World War (she was part of the Resistance).
My parents were shopkeepers on the pedestrian street; I feel 100% from Nice. I’ve been in politics since I was young, and I think I’ve done quite well. I don’t set specific goals for myself, but I’m only 40 years old, so I can think that everything is possible for me.
