“All’s fair in love and war,” goes the popular saying.
With the presidential and legislative elections looming, Eric Ciotti launches a new attack on his former mentor, now his political adversary, Christian Estrosi.
The pretext? The project to demolish the TNN (and Acropolis) and its implementation in several parts of the city according to a layout, widely adopted in France and foreign cities, which aims to bring culture to where people live and not the other way around.
Of course, this is open to discussion, and all opinions can be debated, but… a few days before the City Council’s deliberation, preceded by ministerial authorization, on what grounds does the deputy, chairman of the finance committee of the departmental council, want to seize the subject by organizing a support committee against this project?
The answer seems simple, clear, and straightforward: it is a political action.
Eric Ciotti says he wants “to oppose this crazy idea, an economic mistake.” It is his right to think so, but it turns out that the City Council, the Ministry of Culture, and the Director of the TNN have an opinion contrary to his.
It doesn’t end there. Eric Ciotti announces his intention to submit “a motion to the departmental councilors to remove this project from the territorial contract with the city of Nice.” As the de facto “boss” of the departmental council and the chief financier, he will certainly be followed by the majority. This raises a question: is it within the competence and remit of this organization to choose which municipal projects to finance or not?
This motion, which could also be described as “blackmail,” recalls the childhood game where the owner of the ball would form the teams, failing which he would take the ball away!
To add insult to injury: “I appeal to Christian Estrosi to listen to the people of Nice,” declares Eric Ciotti. But has he consulted them, and how? Or, opportunistically, is it not possible that he has merely taken the lead of a small, perfectly legitimate opposition movement, but one representing only themselves and not the people of Nice?
Quite rightfully, Christian Estrosi might respond that this “TNN” project was part of his electoral program and having been elected, he obtained the voters’ approval.
One could bet that it would be pointless because when a dispute is desired, no reason is good enough to change one’s mind.
In ancient times, the Greeks called this “hubris,” the disease of power.
