Nice Première: Rudy Salles, you have just concluded your departmental convention. What is the news from the UDF in the 06?
Rudy Salles: The UDF is a political party in good shape. We have a strong candidate supported by his entire political family, and we have a project submitted to the various departmental federations in a spirit of democracy and transparency. In the Alpes Maritimes, we have elected our Departmental Council. It consists of 44 women and men committed to the renewal not only of France but also of the Alpes Maritimes. We will now organize ourselves to conduct the 2007 campaigns with enthusiasm and efficiency. We will demonstrate that politics in the department, as well as in the rest of the country, is not simply a duo between the UMP and the PS, but that democracy must breathe and give power back to the French people.
NP: “There will be 577 UDF candidates in the 2007 legislative elections.” Does that mean the UDF will present a candidate for each constituency in the Alpes Maritimes?
RS: All political parties aim to present candidates in the elections. It would be curious for the UMP, PS, PC, Greens, and FN to have this right recognized and only the UDF to be deprived of it. That is why the UDF is preparing 577 candidacies for the upcoming legislative elections, which means 9 for the Alpes Maritimes.
NP: Do you already have an idea of some candidacies?
RS: Of course we have some ideas, but it’s not yet time to reveal them. Everything in its own time.
NP: Regarding the 3rd Nice constituency, Olivier Bettati says “the UDF materializes its belligerent intentions by setting in motion the losing machine.” What do you think?
RS: Forgive me for saying that it is not us who possess the losing machine. In the department, it is the UMP. Should I remind you of a few examples? In the 10 years that Jacques Peyrat has been Mayor of Nice, 7 out of 14 cantons have moved from right to left. It’s an unprecedented achievement that is not our doing. Additionally, in the first and eighth constituencies, there is disunity within the UMP. In the first, this party has designated a candidate against the incumbent who will nonetheless run again. In the eighth constituency, the UMP Mayor of Mandelieu is running against the UMP Mayor of Cannes. The UDF takes note of these internal divisions in the UMP. But at the same time, we do not have to ask the UMP’s permission to present candidates who will defend our colors and carry our project.
NP: How do you analyze the upcoming legislative elections in the Nice constituencies?
RS: For a long time, the city of Nice appeared as a right-leaning city where the political situation was stable and results were practically known in advance. Things have changed significantly in recent times. The population has changed, and so have aspirations. Then, the presence of a former FN member at the head of the municipality and the municipality’s missteps have accelerated the movement of public opinion towards the center. We realize that when the UMP stands alone against the PS, it tends to be the PS that wins. It’s time to reverse this trend. Two constituencies have become weakened: the First and the Second. In the first, 3 out of four cantons have shifted to the left. In the second, 2 out of 4, including the seventh canton “Cimiez,” which has switched. Yet, it was the most right-leaning canton in the city of Nice. That says it all!
NP: What do you think about the Identitarian candidacies in some Nice constituencies?
RS: Anything akin to extremist candidacies is dangerous. I hope our city does not stand out in this area. We have already suffered enough from this image with the National Front.
NP: François Bayrou is in Nice this Monday, what is the purpose of this visit?
RS: François Bayrou is on a tour of France that leads him to meet the entire regional press. Given that our region includes two capitals, Nice and Marseille, it was unthinkable for him to visit one city and not the other. Therefore, he will be in Nice this Monday and in Marseille this Thursday. François Bayrou has the utmost respect for the local press and wishes to engage in a free exchange with it. He has invited the Nice press to a lunch on Monday to enable this exchange in the best possible conditions. Based on the responses from numerous journalists, I understand that this interest is mutual.
NP: Finally, how do you think the UDF can stand out from both the left and the right, locally and nationally?
RS: It’s quite simple. For 25 years, left and right majorities have taken turns, but France’s problems persist. We must ask ourselves why. Quite simply because the problems can no longer be solved by the left or the right. The principle of confrontation, block against block, with one part of the French against the other, is outdated and unproductive. For proof, consider two issues on which the two blocks harshly confront each other: immigration and security. In 25 years, has a majority managed to resolve these issues? The answer is no. To succeed, we must leave political games behind and allow women and men from different backgrounds to come together to imagine suitable solutions instead of systematically denigrating those put forth by others. We would make significant progress in solving our country’s problems. When you ask our fellow citizens, they don’t tell you anything different. On a local level, you will have noticed that we have significant disagreements with the Municipality of Nice, for example. I reject the politics of contempt for the population as practiced in Nice. I stand for the respect of our citizens and for developing policies that respond to their needs. Today, these needs are not being taken into account. That is why I am strongly opposed to the methods being used to impose choices on the people of Nice that they do not share.
