On Sunday, everyone's eyes were turned on the departmental RPR congress and on Charles Ginesy, the current president of the Council of the Department, and Christian Estrosi, his designated successor.
Who will be the next leader of the department ? On Sunday, the eyes of both political and economic fields were turned on the departmental RPR congress which occurred in Nice. Senator Charles Ginesy, the current president of the Council of the Department, was said to be wishing to be his own successor during the next cantonal elections in March 2001.
It was also known that Christian Estrosi was trying to be candidate for the election in the fifth district, the canton of Saint-Etienne de Tinée, instead of Paul Ollié. As he is secretary general of the movement and vice-president of the Regional Council, it was hard to imagine that Christian Estrosi choose to come back in the Council of the Department (he was there between 1985 and 1992) just to play a minor part. Was a struggle for the power to be expected between the two men?
The RPR congress had to make the situation clear. Nice-Matin, at the end of the meeting, thinks that the succession will go off smoothly. In its December 17th edition, the regional daily reports two sentences which, according to the newspaper, show that Charles Ginesy wants to pass the baton. 'Dear Christian, by my side, you will bring the experience that you acquired with the Regional Council to the Council of the Department, at the place that is yours. (…) I'm convinced that this next come back into the Council of the Department will strengthen those who have been supporting me for years (…) in order to prepare the future of our department.'
As well, these two sentences could easily mean the opposite : a wish to keep the presidency with the support of new forces. This is even more true as Christian Estrosi answered by thanking president Ginesy ' for having proposed to join him in order to assist him at the Council of the Department'.Smooth transition or potential succession crisis between the current president and his heir apparent ? Things are never decided in politics…