Seated on the terrace of a café in the Saint-Roch market, with a dozen other people who had come, like her, to support their candidate, Denise observes Graig Monetti with a certain affection, almost that of a grandmother for her grandson. “I don’t know if he will be able to do everything he promised but, in any case, he is a very interesting boy. And, above all, he is humble. »
At 81, this lifelong Niçoise, born in this working-class district to the east of the city, has given herself a new mission: to spread her good word before the second round of the legislative elections. Even if she “has known Eric Ciotti for years”, it is for her challenger, deputy mayor to whom Christian Estrosi has entrusted the mission of dislodging the outgoing LR deputy, whom she encourages to go and vote in this 1st district of the Alps. -Maritimes. A territory that should be scrutinized very closely on Sunday evening.
“I feel good about it”
“I’m doing what I can to help him. But I still can’t go to tow. My knee hurts you know, she slips as the rest of the convoy sets off. But I’m not worried. He has a big team and they are all very motivated. “Since the start of the campaign, there has not been a day when the young parliamentary candidate has not beaten the pavement, with his supporters, many of whom are also those of the mayor of Nice.
And if they had chosen Saint-Roch on Wednesday morning, it is because it is “a district which is not acquired and which has its specificities”, slips Graig Monetti. Second in the first round with 25.92% of the vote, behind Eric Ciotti (31.70%), the outsider nevertheless believes in his chances of depriving his opponent of a fourth term. “I feel it, he assures 20 Minutes. I feel that it is time to come together. The one where we will meet on the values that I defend, humanism, progressivism. »
He wants to use every minute, every meeting to convince. Around the stalls, the discussions are linked. We talk about safety, the environment and even public toilets. “I spotted him from afar. It is very big ! So I came to say hello, smiles a resident. We would like him to solve certain problems if he is elected.
Field campaign or statistics?
The former chief of staff of the Minister of Higher Education, under the previous government, responds to each request. “He went everywhere, all over the constituency. And everyone stops him. It’s a good sign,” rejoices Philippe Rossini. Former vice-president of the departmental council, former very close to Eric Ciotti too, this figure of the district changed tack at the end of 2019 to join the Estrosi camp.
“It’s a campaign where you sweat, where you fight. And it’s something other than a campaign of statistics and pie charts in the depths of an office or a meeting room, ”describes Graig Monetti, scratching his opponent without naming him. The same afternoon, just a few dozen meters from the market, Eric Ciotti held a meeting in the Laure-Ecard space, a performance hall which also hosts association meetings and sporting events.
But around the market stalls, “personally, I haven’t seen it”, assures Thomas, who lives “right next to the church” of Saint-Roch. “On the other hand, I saw people towing for him”, continues the young man. Other residents confirm that they have not crossed paths with the outgoing deputy. 20 minutes asked his entourage to be able to follow him in his campaign but the answer was clear: “he does not wish to invite the press to his travels”.
The postponement of the RN and Nupes voices in question
Since the evening of the first round, the two camps have also been watching carefully the possible carryovers of votes. The 7,260 ballots cast in favor of Anne-Laure Chaintron (Nupes) and the 4,729 others in the name of Muriel Vitetti, the RN candidate, should weigh heavily in the final outcome of the ballot. Eric Ciotti, against whom Eric Zemmour had not wanted to send a candidate in this 1st district of the Alpes-Maritimes has already at least obtained the support of the candidate Reconquest! of the 3rd, Philippe Vardon.
A situation which made Robert Injey react, the substitute Anne-Laure Chaintron. “In the second round of the legislative elections, in the first constituency, the extreme right is therefore very present. She is embodied by Eric Ciotti”. And to continue: “Blocking the far right is obvious when you are on the left”. The call is clear and Graig Monetti did not miss the opportunity to greet the representatives of Nupes. He found them on Wednesday in their HQ, installed in a room that overlooks… directly on the Saint-Roch market.