Nice Premium: Patrick Mottard, was the atmosphere quite tense last Friday at the City Council?
Patrick Mottard: A tense atmosphere? I’d be tempted to say: as usual! The style and remarks of the senator-mayor rarely lead to a calm and democratic debate.
NP: You challenged Jacques Peyrat on his electoral choices. What do you think about his response?
PM: Actually, I am a bit surprised by the lack of national and even local response (except for my interview on Nice Premium that was picked up by Le Monde) to his outrageous stance in favor of an FN vote in the second round in case of a face-off between the left and Le Pen. During this council, I wanted to force him to explain himself on this point right from the start. He did so by persisting and signing off – I emphasize this point – with the loud approval of the fifty members of his majority. This stance is a slap in the face to all the left-wing voters who, in 2002, voted for Chirac.
NP: How do you feel about the presence of the Identitarians in the council chamber?
PM: Personally, I think the less we talk about these Nazi-like groups, the less publicity we give them, which they seek to exist. This discretion, of course, does not prevent action.
NP: Do you have any updates on the case of the Opera dancers?
PM: Yes. The city majority, once again, behaved very poorly in this matter: arrogant in artistic aspects, inhumane in social aspects. Following our interventions (Jean-François Knecht and I were very involved in this file), it seems they have reverted to better sentiments. And by the end of the day, one could hope that individual solutions would be offered to everyone. But let’s remain vigilant…
NP: On the sidelines of the city council, can you give us an update on Bruno Della Sudda?
PM: He is much better, but the scare was quite serious. Consequently, as President of the group, I am torn between wanting to see him return as soon as possible because we miss him, and the sense of responsibility that advises me to give him time for a real convalescence.
NP: Finally, what are your conclusions about this new lively session of the municipal debate in Nice?
PM: We are not at the end of the Nice exception of an extreme right that believes, like Jacques Peyrat, that “the extreme right is part of the right” (sic). From Dominique Estrosi to André Barthes, from Juliana Chichmanian to Agnès Rampal, I didn’t hear a single voice expressing any kind of disagreement. A deafening silence, comparable to that of Muriel Marland Militello in your columns a few days ago. From there, we can’t count on Plural Nice to engage in a detached and technical debate. When the essentials are at stake, it must be said.
