While the French government has decided to vacation only within our borders to, among other things, “stay alert,” what about our local elected officials? Today, Patrick Mottard and Rudy Salles agree to answer our questions.
Patrick Mottard – wandering in Eastern Europe
Nice-Première: What have you planned for your vacation this summer?
P.M.: I’m leaving on Friday for three weeks by car across Eastern Europe. My wife and I will try to go through Crimea and visit friends in Romania on the way back, but the route is fairly open. The former Soviet bloc is not a new destination for me. Two years ago, we visited Bosnia and Serbia; it was indeed an unforgettable trip.
Nice-Première: What attracts you to Eastern European countries?
P.M.: It’s a region undergoing transformation. Since the fall of the wall, it has been very interesting to see how these countries evolve. The cultural aspect of the trip is very important to me, and I am against the trend that turns traveling into a consumer product. I prefer “zigzagging travels”; that is, wandering according to our whims and the people we meet. Eastern European countries are perfect for this.
Nice-Première: Regarding Nice, do you plan to completely disconnect, or will you keep an eye on the city?
P.M.: I obviously want to stay informed not only of international news but also and especially of what’s happening in Nice. First, I will closely follow the football matches. Then, through friends who are staying back home, I intend to keep up with local news. Being abroad, it’s harder to stay well-informed than at home, but in Eastern European countries, paradoxically, the mobile phone network is very good due to the many military bases there. So, I shouldn’t have too much trouble staying in touch with home.
Nice-Première: You chose to go abroad. What do you think about the government members’ decision to stay within French territory for their vacations?
P.M.: I think it’s quite hypocritical. Clearly, this decision is meant to reassure the French after recent turmoil. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. Sometimes it’s even harder to keep in contact with Paris from a small village in Corrèze than from New York.
Nice-Première: What issues do you plan to focus on when you return?
P.M.: I think the city council session upon our return will immediately get us back into action as many projects were left pending like the stadium construction site, which I discussed a few days ago on your website. The Sulzer land case should also occupy us for a while, as well as the issue of the local mission, which has been a real problem since the audit results were communicated in July.
*For more information on Patrick Mottard:*
https://www.patrick-mottard.org/
Rudy Salles – “staying vigilant”
Nice-Première: What have you planned for your vacations?
R.S.: I’m in the middle of them. I return next week from a week in Gard with my family. The plan is simple: swimming, walks with friends, and relaxation, but being close to Nice forces me to remain permanently available.
Nice-Première: Have you had to interrupt your vacation to address an issue in Nice this week?
R.S.: Yes, just Tuesday when I had to intervene in a matter following a police crackdown on prostitution on the Promenade des Anglais.
Nice-Première: What means do you use to keep an eye on the city during your absence, or at least to continue communicating with your constituents?
R.S.: I of course keep my mobile phone on, and I also use my blog, which I continue to update as much as possible. My role as president of the Franco-Israeli parliamentary friendship group also requires me to remain vigilant during this period of confrontation.
Nice-Première: What do you think about the government members’ decision to stay on French territory during their vacations? Do you consider the stated reason valid?
R.S.: I can understand why the government members decided to spend their holidays in France simply because we are endowed with a country extremely rich in tourist resources. The sea, the mountains, the gastronomy, or even the culture; everything is there, and it’s also what makes our country the top tourist destination in the world. Now, to say that this is a constraint imposed to stay reactive is totally ludicrous. It is true that it looks more “serious” to stay in France than to go far away, but to use this argument as a lure is simply ridiculous.
Nice-Première: What topics do you plan to address upon your return?
R.S.: The tram construction site will certainly be the topic I will focus on the most. It disrupts the economic activity of Nice and the construction has now significantly fallen behind schedule! Besides these local issues, I will need to, at a national level, stay close to my party to support François Bayrou’s candidacy in the presidential elections. The UDF campaign will start, and I plan to participate actively from September.
*For more information on Rudy Salles:*
https://www.rudy-salles.com
