Alpes-Maritimes: Éric Ciotti maintained in the LR group on the departmental council
This Thursday, October 3, Charles Ange Ginésy, president of the Alpes-Maritimes departmental council, announced that Éric Ciotti, deputy and leader of the Republicans (LR), would continue to sit within the majority group (LR) of the departmental council, despite calls for his departure. A decision justified "in the name of departmental patriotism".
Earlier this week, the mayor of Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Joseph Segura, had publicly requested on BFM Nice Côte d'Azur that Éric Ciotti leave the LR group within the departmental council. However, Charles Ange Ginésy put an end to the speculation by assuring that Ciotti would remain in the majority group, renamed "Majorité départementale".
In an interview with Nice-Matin, Ginésy stressed that there was "no difficulty" between him and Ciotti, and that he was convinced that they would continue to work well together.
Eric Ciotti remains head of the Finance Committee
Eric Ciotti, although replaced by as president of the majority group last week, nevertheless retains the presidency of the finance committee. Ginésy has minimized the importance of this position, specifying that Ciotti does not have "control" over the finances of the department, despite what some might think.
Charles Ange Ginésy also referred to the critics accusing him of having remained silent after the alliance between Ciotti and the National Rally (RN) during the last legislative elections. He explained that this silence had allowed him to "reflect calmly", adding that speaking out of obligation "would have only brought trouble".
The Union of the Right for the Republic
Regarding the possible discomfort of working with elected officials from the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), the new party founded by Éric Ciotti after his departure from LR, Ginésy affirmed that this did not pose a problem, provided that the elected officials do not openly display their political convictions within the departmental council.
The Alpes-Maritimes department has 54 councillors, the majority of whom, with 40 seats, are led by Charles Ange Ginésy. Joseph Segura's group, renamed "Rassemblement républicain", is made up of 12 councillors from LR, Horizons, UDI, Renaissance, and the Independents.
The departmental council will meet in plenary session this Friday, October 4, to examine several crucial subjects for the territory.