The outgoing mayor, who is running for a third mandate, is racing ahead - Frederic DIDES / SIPA

  • The first round of municipal elections in Nice was marked by an abstention rate of 71.4%.
  • Christian Estrosi (LR) is widely ahead of RN Philippe Vardon and the ecologist Jean-Marc Governatori.
  • A triangular is therefore emerging for a second round, to say the least, uncertain in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

As predicted by the polls, he came out on top. But if Christian Estrosi obtained the most votes cast on Sunday evening, he would still have been beaten by a record abstention, at 71.4%.

Marked by the very strong impact of the health crisis linked to the spread of the coronavirus, the first round of municipal elections in Nice also allowed Philippe Vardon (RN) and Jean-Marc Governatori (ecological Nice) to qualify for a second tower, the holding of which is uncertain.

Far ahead, Estrosi does not escape a second round

The outgoing mayor, who is seeking a third term, missed his re-election in the first round on Sunday evening. With 47.6% of the votes cast, it still obtained its best result, ahead of those of 2014 (44.98%) and 2008 (35.80%). "It is the most important score of the outgoing mayors of the ten largest cities in France, but it is however not appropriate, at a time when our compatriots are worried to rejoice," said Christian Estrosi in the evening.

The outgoing "is not going to campaign in the middle of the roundabout", and "will focus his energy on the health of the people of Nice in the coming days," he said.

I want the people of Nice to know that I will mobilize all municipal and metropolitan resources, whether economic, social, health or safety, so that we can, once again, emerge stronger from this crisis. #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/xSJiwJ8FOX

- Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) March 15, 2020

In a triangular with the RN and the environmentalists

Far behind the outgoing, RN Philippe Vardon and Jean-Marc Governatori (ecological Nice) therefore qualify with 16.7% and 11.3% of the vote. And it is a disappointment for the candidate of ecological Nice, who according to polls, could come in second position. The latter would like to be able to count on the carryover of votes from the left (the socialist Patrick Allemand obtained 6.6% of the votes and the list Lutte Ouvrière 0.7%) with whom an alliance had however been impossible. Nothing is less certain. Mireille Damiano (ViVA! 8.9%) said in the evening that she would not give any voting instructions.

Philippe Vardon, for his part, could take advantage of part of the votes of Benoît Kandel (DVD, 7.3%) and to a much lesser extent those of the UPR candidate (0.9%).

Our Municipal File 2020

Turnout at the lowest

Abstention is especially the big winner of this first round in Nice. In the midst of a health crisis linked to the spread of the coronavirus, the inhabitants of the French Riviera have moved far less to the polls. Despite the systems put in place (marking on the ground, provision of hydroalcoholic gel, etc.), only 61,649 voters came to vote, or 28.6% of those registered on the electoral lists.

In 2014, participation reached 54.1% in the first round. But Nice is no exception. At the departmental level of the Alpes-Maritimes, the participation rate reached 29.50% compared to 62.77% in 2014.

Municipal

Municipales 2020 in Nice LIVE: Outgoing mayor Christian Estrosi leads with 47.63%, ahead of the National Gathering and environmentalists

Municipal

Parity, age ... Zoom in a few figures on the first ballot in the Alpes-Maritimes

  • Elections
  • Philippe Vardon
  • Nice
  • Christian Estrosi
  • Municipal
  • Results