The two outgoing deputies who are representing themselves under the colors of the LR-RN alliance did not accept invitations from local media to discuss with their opponents, who are indignant.
Le Figaro Nice
The day after the announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly, the local media on the Côte d’Azur quickly got into battle gear, with the idea of organizing the best debates based on the issues at hand in mind. in the different constituencies. The first in the Alpes-Maritimes, that of the outgoing Éric Ciotti, was obviously popular given the explosive context. Who from BFM Nice, France 3 or even Nice morning would he be able to convince him to come? Disillusionment: None of them. The contested president of the Republicans since his alliance with the National Rally has refused the invitations. He will not debate before the first round, he informed the editorial staff who had contacted him.
Ditto for outgoing parliamentarian Christelle d’Intorni, in the fifth constituency, who was one of the few to follow the boss of the right on his union line. Faced with these refusals, BFM Nice decided to cancel its broadcasts to “editorial reasons”indicates its direction to Figaro. “When an important candidate is absent, there is a blatant lack of interest”, she adds. As for France 3, no debate was yet scheduled for the fifth “circo”, assured its editor-in-chief. Concerning the first, a debate will still be held, without Éric Ciotti. It will see the protégé of Christian Estrosi for Horizons, Graig Monetti, the candidate of the New Popular Front, Olivier Salerno, and the LR “historical canal” Virgile Vanier-Guérin compete. One place will therefore remain vacant.
On her X account, and in a video, Christelle d’Intorni justified and assumed her position. “A debate is intended to confront our ideas within the framework of a peaceful and dignified exchange, commensurate with the challenges for our country, but this will not be the case”, she explained. She denounced “a gutter campaign made of misogynistic remarks” from Christian Estrosi and “his” candidate, Gaël Nofri (Horizons). “I refuse to participate in this pathetic charade”, she added while castigating her opponent. The former mayor of the small town of Rimplas recently filed a complaint over a campaign of misleading SMS messages.
Arcom seizure
In a press release, his opponent was outraged by this decision. “She does not want to be confronted with reality: that of an isolated woman, a candidate chained to the RN and rallied to a deadly economic program”launched Gaël Nofri, while explaining with irony that he should not be surprised “as it advances masked, it discarded”. The deputy of the Nice councilor also denounced the editorial choice of local media and contacted Arcom, the body responsible for regulation, seeing in it “an extremely serious precedent”. “Refusing to debate is a denial of democracy”also accused Fabrice Decoupigny, the environmentalist candidate of the NFP.
Graig Monetti decided to write directly to Éric Ciotti to challenge his position. “After the betrayal and the lie, he adds to his list of values of cowardice and flight”, castigated this convinced “estrosist” in view of his return match, for which he is not the favorite. He saw there “the decision of a lost man who no longer has anything to say for Nice”.
Éric Ciotti and Christelle d’Intorni are continuing a field campaign, in addition to a few media appearances to use their speaking time. They went together to the Roya valley on Tuesday afternoon, after the night’s floods. Two “national” debates are planned before Sunday’s vote: one was held Tuesday evening, on TF1, then another will take place Thursday, on France 2, between Jordan Bardella, Gabriel Attal and successively Manuel Bompard then Olivier Faure.
