Nice, a “setting for Macron’s campaign” with the multiplication of ministerial visits?

This Tuesday morning, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari came to spend two hours in Nice. The Minister was notably there to sign “the partnership agreement relating to security in transport in the company of Mr. Christian Estrosi”, indicates the note sent to the press to warn of this new ministerial visit.

At the station of #Nice06 with @JB_Djebbari to discuss with the personnel who ensure the proper functioning of the network as well as those who work daily for the safety of users. pic.twitter.com/n0fpMQpRKy

—Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) March 15, 2022

Trips that have multiplied in recent weeks in the capital of the Côte d’Azur, where the mayor makes no secret of his support for the re-election of Emmanuel Macron. And some are moved by it in opposition to the city councilor of Nice, but also elsewhere in the Alpes-Maritimes department. Seeing there a platform offered to the outgoing president.

“Ministerial caravans of pre-election government propaganda”

It was the city of Cannes that was the first to be surprised. On February 22, after three successive visits by the Minister of Health, the Minister for the City and the Secretary of State for the Digital Transition, who came to accompany or present certain initiatives, the municipality of LR David Lisnard, president of the association of mayors of France, had split a press release. She mocked these “ministerial caravans of pre-electoral government propaganda”.

Since then, Marc Fesneau, the Minister for Relations with Parliament and Citizen Participation, on Monday February 28, the Minister Delegate in charge of Housing, on March 7, and the Minister Delegate in charge of Transport, this Tuesday therefore, have also made the shift. No less than six trips in less than a month.

But in addition to their number, it is therefore above all their same base, Nice, which troubles the Cannes town hall. “It is clear that the Maralpine West is systematically the great forgotten government and ministerial landings”, raised the text validated by David Lisnard. Recalling in passing that the visits in question followed “that of President Emmanuel Macron, Monday January 10, 2022, who came to inaugurate the construction site of the future police station and try to defend his security record”. A trip that the deputy Eric Ciotti had boycotted.

Nice obtains “state support because of the experiments it generates”

The town hall of Nice defends its status as the fifth largest city in France and attacks in response with the voice of its first deputy. “I hope that everyone is delighted that Nice is innovating and that Nice is obtaining state support because of the experiments it generates. The President of the Mayors of France should be delighted, says Anthony Borré, asked by 20 minutes. I know I can count on [lui] to defend the freedom of the municipalities and the non-interference of other communities in municipal management. »

The elected official, who for his part explains that he is “rejoicing when the mayors of the department receive ministers”, assures that the mayor of Nice “has always sought to bring together and not to divide the department of which the city of Nice is the central city between west and east.

The pace of “this photo safari of Macronist ministers” is “clearly” accelerating

Except that, if “this photo safari of Macronist ministers in Nice has been going on for many months already, the pace is clearly accelerating” as the elections approach, according to Philippe Vardon. And that would not be trivial, according to the leader of the National Rally on the municipal council.

“In reality, while he spends city council meetings explaining that he has gained height and is no longer involved in political politics, it is quite the opposite. Christian Estrosi uses our city to make it the setting for Emmanuel Macron’s campaign. And he saturates all the media space through these almost daily visits, ”again attacks the elected official with 20 minutes.

“A minister who comes is always an opportunity to do some communication for the king of communication” Christian Estrosi, as the elected ecologist Juliette Chesnel-Leroux also nicknamed him. She also attacks. According to her, the mayor of Nice is anyway “one of the only elected officials to whom Macron can send ministers”. Who could still be present in the capital of the French Riviera, which will host a large meeting on March 23 in support of the outgoing president.