The UDI (Union of Democrats and Independents) representative, Rudy Salles, gave his New Year wishes this Sunday at the Acropolis in front of an audience of 2000 guests. Accompanied by Jean-Louis Borloo, present for the occasion, he reflected on his party’s actions and, in his opinion, the inaction of the Socialist Party.
Hervรฉ Morin could not attend. Lauriano Azinheirinha announced that the President of the New Center was bedridden due to the flu. Jean-Louis Borloo, wearing a neck brace, was the first to speak: “Sorry, I’ll be brief, I have to leave early to treat my neck.” The former Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development was delighted to be in Nice alongside his friend with whom he shared 25 years of parliamentary work. His speech quickly turned to UDI politics.
“We lost opportunities because many opposition families were not united.” He reminded everyone that the UDI owes its inception to this empty political space. A party that must necessarily develop alongside “the UMP partners.” He believes that “the PS is no longer the solution in the region. We need to reorganize to reclaim PACA.” However, independence should not be synonymous with political isolation.
Before Rudy Salles took the floor, Lauriano Azinheirinha called Christian Estrosi to the podium. The deputy mayor of Nice highlighted the striking speech of his predecessor at the lectern: “We have men and women who understand that we are complementary and share the same convictions.” The representative reminded everyone of the city’s major projects and ministerial relationships with Jean-Louis Borloo.
The deputy of the new 3rd constituency, Rudy Salles, took the floor. The General Councilor of the 6th district was not lenient with the majority. He returned to the inaction of the Socialist Party and its ministers: “What is Montebourg doing? He is neither recovering nor producing anything anymore. He should leave his post.” But this was not the only topic on which the parliamentarian debated: “The count of burnt-out cars? 9 according to the PS in Nice, while firefighters counted 14. There is an exponential increase in insecurity, burglaries, and armed robberies. Manuel Valls is just posturing, and we still have the inefficiency of Christiane Taubira.”
Several topics were addressed by the Deputy Mayor of Nice. “Look, all of you are rich, your taxes have increased.” Laughter filled the Mauves Room. “It’s a record of unpopularity in the Fifth Republic over such a short period. Promises are not kept, and lies accumulate. The population should get what it deserves, but the Left does exactly the opposite.” Fortunately, the two factions agree on certain points, including the French intervention in Mali.
The solution? The UDI, of course. Rudy Salles believes that the centrist party is in a “determined and constructive opposition. The PC and the PS were against everything, even when it was good.” The UDI is considered the UDF of the 21st century and is the third parliamentary group after those of the PS and the UMP. “We practice politics intelligently by prioritizing the general interest over that of politicians.” Locally, he presents his projects, including the construction of a Convention Center opposite the airport, and hopes that the SNCF will implement more regular TER trains to Ariane.
“We have lost all the elections and have an interest in showcasing our strengths to the competition.” And as Jean-Louis Borloo likes to remind us, “deadlines come quickly.” “We must unite all French people and avoid dispersion to the Left and the far-right.” Rudy Salles concluded his speech by greeting the entire room, asking his voters to “mobilize” and wishing them “a happy new year” because for him, “in 2013, we must be vigilant and at the center of developments.”
