Ladislas Polski is a young family doctor, 37 years old, married and father of two children. He lives and works in La Trinité, close to his patients, deeply involved in the daily lives of his fellow citizens… and potential future voters.
Engaged in politics since 2002 alongside Jean-Pierre Chevènement, who embodies the republican values to which he is passionately attached, he has been a municipal councilor for 6 years, and a regional councilor in charge of economic activities.
His declaration of intent is clear and straightforward: “Today, surrounded by a competent, loyal team deeply rooted in the community, I am ready to be elected as the mayor for all residents of La Trinité!”
Nice Premium: You are a candidate for the upcoming municipal election. In a word: Why?
Ladislas Polski: To give a new impulse to the 5th city of the metropolis. La Trinité must better make its voice heard within the Nice-Côte d’Azur metropolis so that its residents see their living environment valued, and so that the town can regain dynamism and a certain attractiveness.
Nice Premium: What are your three main campaign focuses and, thus, your three projects inherent to them?
Ladislas Polski: Renew, Gather, Will.
Renew the members of the municipal council of course, but also practices: consultation with the population for major communal guidelines, respect for ethics and the general interest. I want the people of La Trinité to feel respected by their mayor. I will create a consultative council of communal life (association presidents, representatives of traders and neighborhood committees).
Gather the long-time inhabitants and the new residents of La Trinité, the young and the elderly, the people of all backgrounds. Gather them concretely in a place of conviviality, a multipurpose room which is sorely lacking in the community and whose construction will be one of the priorities of the mandate.
Will, that is to say, affirm a political will capable of advancing major issues. La Trinité neither wanted nor managed to make itself heard in defense of the tramway’s arrival, which was promised to La Trinité at the project’s outset, and which the residents are currently funding as it progresses westward, to the other end of the metropolis.
We will deploy all our efforts for the economic development of the Anatole France Zone, in conjunction with a transport development plan, to give our community attractiveness and enable job creation.
Nice Premium: A candidate implies a list. Can you already tell us about some of your running mates?
Ladislas Polski: My list illustrates my desire to gather people from all backgrounds in La Trinité: most on my list have never belonged to a political party. We share a framework of values—the republican values—and a common project for the service of La Trinité.
Rather than speaking about any one of my 32 running mates whom I will have the opportunity to introduce, I will tell you that my list includes old residents and more recent inhabitants, young mothers and grandfathers, business leaders like teachers, a retired police officer and a young pediatric nurse, a bus driver and a nurse…
All the people of La Trinité can recognize themselves in it.
Nice Premium: An election also means opponents. How do you gauge yours?
Ladislas Polski: The current mayor is no longer a candidate, he is not my opponent. The current majority has chosen as the candidate, somewhat by default probably, the first deputy, Mr. Dalmasso, delegated to the financial affairs of a town whose finances have been severely criticized by the regional court of auditors in a very harsh report dating from 2012. The first deputy, who has never made his voice heard at the metropolitan council where he also renounced attending, does not seem the best to defend the town’s interests.
The National Front candidate, neither I nor most of the residents know him. The anger expressed by National Front voting is not the solution: the municipal election is the opportunity to restore confidence in political action, concretely. I want to demonstrate to the residents that it is possible to act usefully.
Nice Premium: What is the most urgent issue for the town?
Ladislas Polski: Reestablish dialogue with the residents who do not feel heard—inhabitants of peripheral neighborhoods, downtown traders—they are numerous to wonder about the municipal administration’s lack of listening, except a few weeks before the elections…
Launch an economic development dynamic for employment in the community centered on the development of the Anatole France Zone and the development of transport.
Complete with all possible partners a sound financial arrangement for the construction of a multipurpose hall.
Nice Premium: What will your schedule be until March 23rd, and what will be your major events?
Ladislas Polski: Our campaign has entered a new phase on January 30th, the day I presented my wishes under the municipal tent in the presence of Jean-Pierre Chevènement before more than 350 residents, despite the rain and cold on a weekday evening! We felt a real momentum there.
From now on, we prioritize contact with our fellow citizens: in the neighborhoods (a meeting took place in the community halls of Laghet on February 8th, a next one at La Plana on February 15th, and soon at the cité du soleil), and door-to-door, with business leaders (business breakfast in February).
Nice Premium: On the evening of the first round, what position do you envision you will be in?
Ladislas Polski: Capable of gathering all the residents who hope for an alternative and winning.
Nice Premium: There’s a lot of talk about the rise of the extremes, what is your opinion on this subject?
Ladislas Polski: The economic and social crisis, the unemployment that does not seem to be falling, the weakening of our republican values (the authority of the state, secularism) create legitimate concerns and anger. But the solution is not in the extremes. What is needed is for elected officials to demonstrate that they can be concretely useful to their fellow citizens. The municipal election is an opportunity to show this. That is the political will I want to embody.
Nice Premium: You will be a happy candidate, if and only if..?
Ladislas Polski: If I become mayor by succeeding in gathering residents from all backgrounds, having sparked hope that I will be keen not to disappoint.
