The visit to Nice by Nicolas Sarkozy was supposed to be the first rally of Christian Estrosi’s electoral campaign, the new UMP candidate for the 2015 regional elections. On this occasion, the entire regional nomenclature turned out, and almost all the elected officials came to show their support for the mayor of Nice. After 18 years of socialist rule, victory is in the air, and everyone is positioning themselves for what comes next!
The former President of the Republic began his visit at the departmental council, where Eric Ciotti detailed the results of his policy against social fraud, which he has turned into a reference product.
In the evening, before a large audience, Nicolas Sarkozy, after expressing his satisfaction that Christian Estrosi had accepted to lead the UMP list for the regional elections in PACA, particularly emphasized the necessity for unity: “The stakes of the regional elections demand even more unity”.
It is clear that Nicolas Sarkozy envisions the steps of the Elysée in his mind and that his desire to return goes beyond the simple moment of his morning shave. Naturally, this call for party unity comes with the condition that, when the time comes, this move forward happens behind him!
The current president of the UMP, with his usual euphoria, specified the change of name and operational methods of the “party of the 20th century”, which will be voted on next May 30th to become a participatory organization with grassroots members who will be in direct contact with the top-tier positions.
In other words, a party in which the members will have a direct line (aided by new technologies) with the elites, without the mediation of various local and national baronies that will be scaled down.
Moreover, the elected officials present, with eyes downcast and kneeling, will not want to oppose this hegemonic vision.
The repeated return to the Republic and its traditional values in his address confirmed that the name of the “new” party will indeed be… the Republicans!
The regional elections section was introduced by the Mayors of Marseille and Toulon, who were asked to show allegiance to Christian Estrosi: this was done, even if Jean-Claude Gaudin’s intervention reminded one of the rule of the Holy Roman Church, which in its wisdom officially retires its clerics at age 75. As for Hubert Falco, the second, he is preferred as a heartfelt supporter of his city’s rugby club.
Eric Ciotti launched into a spirited plea of action at the top of the Republic and the Government, which, if one “interprets” his words, is more dangerous than a medieval plague.
Christian Estrosi, on the other hand, has already taken this candidacy as a personal challenge:
@estrosi: I have accepted to lead the fight for our Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region & promise to lead you to victory
Considering his socialist competitor Christophe Castaner to be insubstantial, his attacks were directed at Marion Maréchal Le Pen, whose ears must have been ringing quite a lot last night!
The path is well laid out, in any case: “This summer, I will hold meetings in each department to debate on essential topics. Together, we will forge the weapons of this battle”, was the working method announced by the candidate.
Naturally, with his notorious flexibility, the mayor of Nice has already smoothed out the traditional roughness against Marseille in his speeches: should we soon imagine him, scarf around his neck, supporting OM, he who is a fervent tifoso of OGC Nice?
As for Toulon and Var, it’s already done: Sunday evening, a tweet on his account mentioned his joy for RCT’s qualification in the European Cup final…
For the regionals, the final will be played out in December!
