Christian Estrosi and Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, the mayors of Nice and Rouen -

Letellier / Sipa - Syspeo / Sipa

  • The statue of the emperor in front of the town hall of Rouen has been unbolted ... to go into restoration.

  • The mayor of Rouen is launching a consultation to consider installing a female figure in its location.

By offering to offer asylum to the Rouen statue of Napoleon, the mayor of Nice has triggered the ire of one of Rouen's counterpart.

An episode in four acts which began on Saturday afternoon with a tweet on the account of Christian Estrosi.

"The city of Nice, member of the Imperial City network, offers to recover it for its public space if the current consultation in Rouen does not lead to its resettlement in this city", launched the elected on the social network.

Gisèle Halimi in place of Napoleon I?

The mayor of Nice reacted to the consultation, launched by the town hall of Rouen, on the advisability of reinstalling the equestrian statue of the emperor in front of the town hall.

A bronze work by Vital Gabriel Dubray, 4 t and 5 m high, unbolted and sent to Ile-de-France for a restoration which should last a year.

The socialist mayor of Rouen had made it known that he wanted to see a female figure, like Gisèle Halimi, enthroned.

The day after Christian Estrosi's tweet, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol replied: “There was never any question of parting with the statue of Napoleon, we are restoring it for more than 100,000 euros.

Rather than arguing, let's work for F / M [woman / man] equality in the public space.

In Nice, Rouen and elsewhere, so much remains to be done.

"

The @villedenice, member of the @VilleImperiale network, proposes to recover it for its public space if the consultation in progress in Rouen does not lead to its resettlement in this city.

- Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) September 19, 2020

Third act: the mayor of Nice is self-satisfied

“Rouen embodies the great history of France more than other cities, a story that the people of Nice have chosen to freely join by becoming French by referendum 160 years ago,” recalls Christian Estrosi.

I am happy for our great community of destiny and for the people of Rouen that my offer allows you to confirm that the statue of Napoleon will keep the place it deserves.

"

And his Norman counterpart retorted again: “You tell me Napoleon and History of Nice 160 years ago, when I talk to you about gender equality and the future.

Never mind.

Yet the issue of the place of women in the public space seems to me far more important than these futile polemics that you are trying to maintain.

"

In November 2019, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon Bonaparte, Christian Estrosi had renamed the quai Cassini “quai Napoléon-Ier”, which had already been debated.

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  • Controversy

  • Statue

  • Napoleon

  • Nice