At the initiative of Deputy Mayor Christian Estrosi and Eric Ciotti, president of the General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes, François Baroin, deputy mayor of Troyes and former minister, met with many militants and others during a “family meeting” as described by the Mayor of Nice.
While visiting to give a lecture to students at the Nice campus of the EDHEC business school, François Baroin couldn’t imagine “passing through Nice without meeting the city’s supporters.”
As promised, the meeting begins with a brief speech by the deputy mayor of Nice who praises the career of François Baroin. Eric Ciotti follows, stating the guest is one of those “courageous men thanks to whom we can build a better future.”
The two Nice leaders did not hesitate to repeat the usual refrain: France is in decline since the “unfortunate” defeat of the UMP in the presidential elections. “We must prepare for the future,” recalls Eric Ciotti, meaning to prepare for the post-PS era.
Following these exchanges, François Baroin takes the floor. He greets the militants present in the room and pays tribute to former President Nicolas Sarkozy. He then offers a “clear-eyed” view of what is happening in France and more broadly in Europe since François Hollande’s election.
A negative view, of course, of the current president: “He has done in 8 months what François Mitterrand did in two years.” For him, “instead of driving straight into a wall, François Hollande pulls the handbrake and rolls over. Which is not much better.”
At the European level, “France is becoming isolated.” He deplores François Hollande’s attitude of “turning his back” on Angela Merkel, thus leading Germany to seek out other allies. As an example, he recalls how the current President refused the additional monetary integration proposed by the German Chancellor. “He is destroying the Franco-German relationship that Nicolas Sarkozy maintained during his term. But we cannot do without this relationship.”
Finally, the Mayor of Troyes announces his support for François Fillon and asserts that he has no intention of running for the presidency of the UMP.
An evening among friends that allowed the right-wing militants of Nice to get acquainted with a heavyweight of their political movement, a figure of undeniable qualities whose experience can only be helpful in the renewal of the party that is underway and in the perspective of electoral revenge… in the very near future!
