Olivier Bettati, a municipal and regional councilor under the National Front label, held a press conference in which he reviewed the first six months of Christian Estrosi as president of the PACA region.
It was in the offices of the National Front 06, located on the rue de l’Hôtel des Postes, that Olivier Bettati, one of the main opposition elected officials on the Nice municipal council, organized a press conference. The aim was to highlight the promises of Christian Estrosi, president of the PACA region since December.
Accompanied by Philippe Vardon, Benoît Loeillet, Anne Kessler, and departmental head Lionel Tivoli, the regional councilor first stated that “these first six months were a continuation of what his predecessor, Michel Vauzelle, did.” Indeed, most of the reforms applied by the PACA region had already been undertaken under the mandate of the former Socialist president.
“We were expecting four changes, classified into major themes,” warns Olivier Bettati. These themes are security, economy, employment, and culture.
With evidence in hand, the National Front regional councilor begins his argument. The first attack: the promised security gates in all the region’s stations. After showing a short video in which Christian Estrosi makes this promise, he notes, “only one gate has been installed, at the Arcs station.” Then, in another video, Olivier Bettati films himself entering the supposedly “completely secured” Arcs station… through the exit, located two meters from the adjacent security gate.
“You should know that a security gate like that costs 100,000 euros per month.” Philippe Vardon also comments: “it would cost 152 million euros to equip all the stations. It is impossible for Christian Estrosi to keep his commitments.” Therefore, 160 million euros would need to be found during the summer, given that Christian Estrosi promised these security gates by the end of the year.
“Instead of paying for a private security agent, we could pay to have real police officers securing the trains and stations. Because it’s not a door with a sticker that will prevent anyone from entering,” denounces Philippe Vardon.
Regarding the economy, Olivier Bettati notes that “credits allocated to the economy have decreased by 12.5%.” While he acknowledges “an increase in aid to businesses,” the establishment of a one-stop-shop, supposed to facilitate company registration, is not universally approved. New video evidence: a phone call to the region’s call center. On the other end, a hostess confused by the National Front councilor’s questions. And finally, a telling observation: “no, nothing changes really,” admits the operator at the end of the video.
Olivier Bettati then moves to the second theme, employment. He notes that “25,000 jobs are unfilled in the PACA region.” Christian Estrosi had promised they would be filled “within six months of his election.” He also added that “a website would be created” to monitor the progress of this promise. But today, nothing has been done. And when figures are requested from the region, it states that “the numbers are not available, they still need to be consolidated.”
Culture, finally, has not been spared. “Estrosi wanted to chair the cultural management of the region,” according to Olivier Bettati. The board of directors was therefore moved to Marseille, at the region’s headquarters. Philippe Vardon then recalled that “the vice-president of the board of directors, Sophie Jouassin, resigned stating that the regional councilor mandate had become a detached mandate.”
“Christian Estrosi has reverted to his old ways”
Olivier Bettati then revealed that the region’s debt had increased by 200 million euros. Then, dissecting a financial report, he pulled out some “dining expenses,” referring to restaurant bills ranging from 2,500 euros to 11,000 euros, in restaurants in Cannes, Marseille, and even at the Bourbon, in Paris, located just behind the National Assembly.
While the law allows for dining expenses, “it doesn’t prevent commenting,” defends Olivier Bettati. “Nearly 78,000 euros for restaurants, for tables of around 300 people, it’s indecent to accumulate such bills.”
He then makes a rather alarming observation: “it’s a shame to arrive at absurd demonstrations like those at the station to denounce the ongoing show” of Christian Estrosi. He then criticizes the numerous trips required to attend meetings because agencies have been closed to re-centralize the region’s services. “Today, seventeen agency employees are paid to do nothing, in Nice.” Then, Olivier Bettati persists and signs: “I’ve had to travel four hours round trip for a 22-minute meeting in Marseille.”
Philippe Vardon concluded by announcing that during the regional council’s plenary session scheduled for today, a motion would be tabled to request the resignation of Christian Estrosi from the presidency of the cultural management of the PACA region.
