The extraordinary Municipal Council meeting held yesterday morning approved measures to strengthen prevention and security (see box).
However, the political goal of the session was to reiterate the momentum of unity, this time at the municipal level, following the national unity demonstrated when the National Assembly presented to the French and the world with “La Marseillaise” sung in chorus by all the Nation’s representatives, and the Prime Minister’s speech approved unanimously beyond political affiliations.
“The France is united in the face of adversity,” said the Prime Minister, and Christian Estrosi, not lacking in flair, immediately wanted to respond: Nice will be united, as it was during the march on the Promenade des Anglais, which gathered all political forces, except the FN.
The response is comforting, even if not necessarily convincing.
The opposition rallied behind the Mayor, except on a few points, and the criticisms were expressed subtly. The two FN representatives abstained for reasons beyond the deliberations themselves (as will be explained in another article). The elected members of the “Independents” group distanced themselves on matters related to city policy and actions in the educational sector.
Olivier Bettati strongly criticized the action of Dominique Estrosi-Sassone after requesting an audit on the effectiveness of social action, which is a significant cost center in the city’s budget and, according to him, does not deliver satisfactory results. However, in the end, his vote did not detract from the heavily criticized deliberations.
Patrick Allemand attempted to achieve some changes to the pricing of extracurricular activities, and although he did not succeed, he nonetheless obtained the commitment that the charter of secularism (previously neglected) would be displayed in all classrooms of the municipal schools.
In conclusion, Christian Estrosi offers his analysis: “Political action suffers from a dire and often justified image of cynicism, calculation, ambition, aggressiveness, irony, even theatrics. Citizens now observe us more acutely… We owe it to them first that our debates remain dignified. Let us make room for the truth that is constructed through debate and democratic compromise and not through partisan convictions.”
Will this harmonious spirit last? Will the union around ethical values withstand ideological reflexes?
The Nice Carnival under high surveillance.
The flagship winter event of the Côte d’Azur, one of the largest Carnivals in the world, will present its program in Nice from February 13 to March 1.
Rudy Salles, Deputy Mayor and President of the Tourist Office in charge of organizing the event, announced a significant strengthening of security around the event. Screening and searches of locations and individuals, the deployment of riot police (CRS), the presence of bomb disposal units, and emergency services for people will be planned and significantly reinforced.
