Nice (AFP)

In Fréjus, the largest municipality managed by the National Rally (RN), the former deputy first Richard Sert created surprise by presenting himself against the outgoing mayor David Rachline, assuring "to be more legitimate" than him to carry out his projects.

"I am going to beat David Rachline. I have beautiful plans for Fréjus and I think I am more legitimate and more capable than he to carry them out," assured Mr. Sert, who was the Mr. Rachline's campaign manager when the latter, 26, swept the city in 2014.

This 62-year-old engineer, who indicates that he no longer has his RN card "for two years", is on a list "without label", with in his boxes projects of thalassothermia and further deleveraging in the city.

The divorce with Mr. Rachline, candidate for his re-election, is due to the excessive weight taken by close collaborators of the mayor according to Mr. Sert. "When things are no longer decided in the normal way but in a small committee, there is a confidence that is no longer there", he reproached the one who is now his opponent, "not always very rigorous, nor punctual ", to have" overall a lack of respect for the Fréjussiens, elected officials and municipal staff ".

Attacks that the mayor of Fréjus considers due to "a form of jealousy": "We will see what it gives in terms of electoral scores when he is alone on board," commented Mr. Rachline to AFP. "It is someone who will fall into the anonymity from which I had released him," he said.

Mr. Sert, on the other hand, assumes "the very good balance sheet" of the mandate, in particular the criticized sale of numerous lots to reduce Fréjus' debt without increasing tax rates.

Richard Sert, whose ex-wife Brigitte Auloy also left the city council in 2019, was in charge of key delegations (finance, planning, town planning, land, heritage, major risks) and he served as mayor when Mr. Rachline sat in the Senate for much of the term.

In 2014, Mr. Rachline was elected with 45.55% in favor of a triangular opposing him to a UMP candidate and the outgoing mayor Elie Brun, who stood for election without the UMP nomination.

© 2020 AFP