By popular grace, three lords are seen as potential rulers over the first district of Nice. Ciotti, Rivière, and Allemand, these are the only names the constituents have on their lips. The other contenders will only have their tears to count on, according to the residents. An afternoon spent in the territory of the incumbent deputy, Jérôme Rivière, leaves a bitter taste. From the old port to Masséna, from the Promenade des Anglais to St Roch via the Old Nice, disillusionment dominates. One testimony sums up the rest. In her 79 years, Solange has seen political battles among great men. But “it’s been a long time since she believed in promises” and this election will be “like all the others.” She votes according to the “ideologies she attributes to the parties” and does not base her choice on their programs. Preferring the peaceful life her retirement offers, away from the election turmoil, she “pities” the coming generations.
Tumultuous is a fitting descriptor for these elections. At first glance, the candidates swim in calm waters. Each presents his grand idea. For Jérôme Rivière, it is through his election to enable the President of the Republic to successfully carry out his policy, he who boasts “five years of work in the district.” For Éric Ciotti, the rhetoric is similar, except that he has received the UMP endorsement. He relies on his Nice origins to be elected and to silence the critics who accuse him of being parachuted in. Finally, Patrick Allemand positions himself as the bulwark against the excesses of Sarkozy’s policy, by setting up an opposition committed to social values.
And rest assured, all three have understood your disillusionment and all three want to do politics “differently.”
In three and a half hours, between 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM, these intentions are dismantled by the candidates themselves. All three fall back into the pitfalls of political politicking. The first, by chance in interviews, is Jérôme Rivière, who is also the mildest. “Some talk for five weeks; I’ve worked for five years,” is his ultimate message to the voters, launching the first jab that would set the stage ablaze. In response, Éric Ciotti accuses him of “conducting gutter politics.” The final attack is launched by the socialist candidate who blasts the UMP candidate: “He is quick to denounce Jérôme Rivière, it’s the only way he has of rallying the right.” As the popular saying goes, a leopard can’t change its spots…
So many fine words should not leave anyone indifferent, and yet. “I didn’t follow the campaign,” confides Christelle, whose bakery is just a few meters from Patrick Allemand’s office. “I don’t even know who is running,” exclaims Julien, a 20-year-old student, in front of Éric Ciotti’s office. Finally, Antoine, an artisan who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, is “unable to say what Jérôme Rivière has done” for the first district. The way of doing politics must change before elections and not once elected. Otherwise, as Solange said: “all elections will look the same” and will never be good stories.
