The mines were closed and smiles were tight when the results of this first round of early legislative elections were announced. Craig Monetti and Philippe Pradal came third and will be asked to withdraw if they respect the instructions given by the presidential camp. Gaël Nofri is not even qualified for the second round in the 5th constituency. The evening was painful.
Christian Estrosi blames the blow. It is almost 11 p.m. when the mayor of Nice, surrounded by the Horizons candidates, finally shows up in the bar in downtown Nice where their supporters were summoned…
The faces are rather closed, the wait has been long and many activists have already left the premises, when Christian Estrosi launches himself and records an unprecedented electoral setback.
“The economic, social and political context was not favorable to the Republican camp. A false union of the left has been formed between people who have completely unnatural opinions. An absolute betrayal of the president of the Republicans: we would have preferred him to be a deputy for Marseille, for Toulouse; from Lille, Strasbourg, Paris or Nantes… and again: I do not wish them as much harm as he could have done to our city.”
The tone is set. The adversary is there: Eric Ciotti, president of the Republicans party, and guilty of having concluded an alliance with the National Rally. He who, according to Christian Estrosi:
in his mouth only the words of cowardice and treason, we can see this evening that his treason, with this hold-up that he carried out at the head of the formation created by General de Gaulle, to go and polish the shoes of Mr. Bardella and Mrs. Le Pen, is totally and definitively consummated.
Christian Estrosi, mayor (Horizons) of Nice
Eric Ciotti guilty of repeated reversals: “after having called to vote for Estrosi 20 years ago, Sarkozy 15 years ago, Fillon 12 years ago, then Wauquiez… after having belly danced for Mr. Bardella (sic), sorry, Mr. Attal to enter Mr. Macron’s government, we now hear him say: vote for Bardella. This betrayal is completely consummated.“
After several hours of waiting, a speech of just a few minutes in front of around forty activists.
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© FTV / D. Gerner
Estrosi-Ciotti. The two have been a pair for a long time on the regional chessboard.
Eric Ciotti, former first assistant to Chrisian Estrosi, who is trying to take the place from his mentor. And Christian Estrosi who conveniently forgets that he hunted on the same lands as Eric Ciotti and that he himself fomented an alliance with the National Front in the 90s.
Funny election night, definitely. Lieutenants Pradal, Monetti and Nofri, on the front line in the three Nice districts, are not authorized to speak to the press.
Christian Estrosi continues with a more expected statement: “I feel bad for my France. […] Our country is deeply fractured, divided between two blocs with extreme ideas and practices. This is one of the lessons of this election: the left/right divide has been supplanted by the far left/far right divide. Tonight, there is a national tsunami.”
The defeat is recorded. But the bitterest part is yet to come. Withdraw in favor of the New Popular Front candidate in the first and third constituencies?
“In the coming hours, we will take the decisions that the republican spirit requires.”
@france3paca Graig Monetti (Horizons), deputy mayor of Nice responsible for Events, Youth and Equal Opportunities, candidate in the first constituency of the Alpes-Maritimes and Pierre Fiori, also a municipal councilor, his substitute, sing “Bella ciao” in Nice on June 30 following the first round of the legislative elections. #legislatives2024 #nice06 #politics ♬ original sound – France3Paca
A short tour and then leaves: Christian Estrosi leaves on foot, leaving his disoriented candidates there… Gaël Nofri and Philippe Pradal quickly follow suit, when Graig Monetti and Pierre Fiori play extra time with the activists . Pierre Fiori sings Bella Ciao, the song of anti-fascist supporters… Smiles and loud applause…
A clue for the future?
Far from it: having come in third place, Graig Monetti nevertheless announced the very next day, this Monday morning, that he would remain in the second round.
I am the most capable of uniting, I have decided to maintain my candidacy. Faced with the betrayal and the shame done to Nice and the people of Nice, beating Éric Ciotti and the RN is within reach.
Graig Monetti, Horizons candidate.
There will therefore be a triangular in the first constituency of Alpes-Maritimes.
