Lyrics and music for Patrick Allemand’s New Year wishes were shared in an intimate gathering with friends and fans during a pleasant afternoon. The focus shifted from the small concert of singer-songwriter songs to the speeches and messages from someone keen to dive back into local politics after stepping down from long-standing regional responsibilities. His announced target is, unsurprisingly, Christian Estrosi.
It’s an ambitious goal, considering that after the regional election results, the Mayor of Nice is riding a wave of popularity, while the socialist elect, on the other hand, has fallen off his horse, if not his pedestal.
The former Vice-President of the Regional Council of PACA revisited the elections last December: “We knew we would face difficulties, but we didn’t expect Marion Le Pen to score more than 40% in the first round,” and he confirmed the correctness of the socialist withdrawal in the second round: “It was a republican gesture, despite his right-wing positions, Christian Estrosi is not Marion Le Pen.”
The absence of a socialist representation in the regional assembly? “It doesn’t mean we’ll be absent from the debate and silent outside. We will participate in the Territorial Conference that Christian Estrosi committed to setting up, and we will be vigilant about the coherence of his governance’s actions.”
Opposition is always good. But what kind of opposition and with whom? The indication is still the same: it’s the coalition of left-wing forces that can create the conditions for some chances of success.
Fine, but for now, there’s no sign of this union. In fact, neither the radicals nor the communists were present in the room, not even out of courtesy, and a few days ago, Dominique Boy-Mottard clarified in a statement the role of Patrick Allemand as president of the “An Alternative for Nice” group: “The president coordinates the group and does not represent it individually.” Clear, right?
Let’s not talk about the communists, much less the Mélenchonists, entrenched in their anti-government struggle, with no intention of coming down from the barricades.
And what about the ecologists, more of a disorderly bunch than a political party? Lost in the thick fog of their ideas but even more paralyzed by rivalries and personal ambitions.
Beyond the routine remarks Patrick Allemand sprinkled throughout his speech, the question lingering over this meeting of activists remains ever-relevant: will the PS manage to reclaim its role as the primary opposition force?
No one can say for sure, but perhaps a look toward the renewal driven by Xavier Garcia, the new departmental secretary, and Ladislas Polski and his new initiative “Rise the Left” is needed.
For now, it’s just a matter of staying the course. In challenging times, this isn’t always the simplest of tasks…
