Laurent Hottiaux, Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, has requested the Mayor of Nice to remove the Israeli flag hoisted on the facade of the town hall. He invokes public service neutrality. Christian Estrosi is currently refusing to comply.
Last night, the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, Laurent Hottiaux, sent a letter to the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, asking for the removal of the Israeli flag from the town hall’s front. This initiative is part of a broader effort. A circular intended for all the mayors of the department is being prepared. It will remind them of the prohibition against installing foreign flags on public buildings, in the name of the principle of public service neutrality.
The Israeli flag has been installed at the town hall since the attacks that took place in Israel on October 7, 2023. The Mayor of Nice explained that he wants to keep it up as long as hostages are still held in Gaza. “I have made commitments to the people of Nice,” he stated on Monday evening. He also declared that he would continue fighting “against all forms of antisemitism and anti-Zionism.”
For several months, the presence of this flag has caused tensions in Nice. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations are organized almost every week. The gatherings regularly occur in front of the town hall. The demonstrators demand that the Palestinian flag also be flown in public spaces.
Several appeals have been submitted to the administrative court to request the flag’s removal. To date, only one decision has been issued. It dismissed, for lack of urgency, an emergency appeal filed by three anonymous residents of Nice.
A national debate on foreign symbols
The issue of foreign flags in town halls is not limited to the case of Nice. In Gennevilliers, in the Hauts-de-Seine, the prefecture also requested the removal of the Palestinian flag hoisted at the town hall’s entrance. The town’s mayor, Patrice Leclerc (PCF), denounced it as a form of differential treatment. He recalls that in February 2022, no report was made when the Ukrainian flag was displayed.
In this context, Prefect Hottiaux’s position indicates a desire for clarity. Having recently arrived in the department, he aims to reaffirm the rule of neutrality imposed on local governments.
Meanwhile, the Nice town hall and the Southern Region continue their efforts to assist French citizens stranded in Israel. A listening service has been set up. It is directed towards families affected by the tensions in the Middle East. The municipality and the region are requesting the establishment of a secure corridor to facilitate returns. Contacts are ongoing with French and Israeli authorities.
In this matter, the prefect and the mayor seem to be holding their ground for now. A new court decision might be needed to resolve the issue.
