Nice (AFP)
The deputy LR of Nice and former president of the departmental council of the Alpes-Maritimes Eric Ciotti took one more step Monday towards the clash with the municipal mayor Christian Estrosi, of which he was the former right-hand man, during the an evening meeting with his "friends".
"Tonight, my friends, we have marked the road, it is not sinuous, it is right, in Nice to decide to borrow it!", He launched, at the end of a speech by more than an hour to "set the benchmarks" - "security", "fiscal moderation", "fight" against large surfaces and against the concreteization of the Plain of Var-, and display its values - "authority and freedom".
"We are here to serve the people of Nice and not to use the people of Nice," he said with applause, attacking government policy and Christian Estrosi, without ever naming him.
"Some say that I am too serious, I assume this behavior (...), the unanimity or the imposed reverence is no longer democracy," said the possible future candidate for mayor, claiming his modest family background: "I'm not bling + bling".
"Something derailed in our country," he also criticized, extolling the Christian civilization "more beautiful and greater than any other". "If this France is changed, if this communitarianism has taken this place today, it is because we let in our country too many people whose we no longer have the ability to bring them a message of assimilation and integration, "he added, saying he was shocked by the jubilant demonstrations on July 14 the night of Algeria's qualification in the final of the African Cup of Nations.
"Do not confuse the nations, here we are in France and there is only one flag," he said, also accusing the government of "cowardice" in the face of the demonstration of undocumented foreigners in the country. Pantheon: "When one is an alien in an irregular situation, the only possibility is expulsion, not the claim!"
Although Mr Ciotti did not formally declare his candidacy, his speech was interpreted as such by most of the hundreds of "friends" who came to listen to him at Cremat Castle, a vineyard on the hills of Nice.
The investiture LR could arrive in November. In the meantime, the presidential majority will also have decided whether it chooses a serious candidate or facade, or openly supports Christian Estrosi.
© 2019 AFP