Marseille’s Governatori Backs RN’s Ciotti in Nice, Faces Criticism
Nice, France – Jean-Marc Governatori, a municipal councilor in Nice, has announced his alliance with Éric Ciotti, a candidate backed by the Rassemblement National (RN) for the upcoming municipal elections. The move, revealed on Monday, has prompted a swift and critical response from Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
Muselier expressed his disbelief at Governatori’s decision, characterizing it as a “volte-face” and questioning the motivations behind the shift. “I do not understand this about-face!” Muselier stated, according to reports from Nice-Presse and Presseagence. He described Governatori as a long-standing centrist ecologist whose commitment to environmental preservation “far from extremes” is now undermined by his association with the far-right.
The regional president further argued that Governatori’s alignment with Ciotti disqualifies his previous political engagement and contradicts the principles he once championed. Muselier specifically highlighted the environmental implications of supporting Ciotti’s platform, which prioritizes automobile infrastructure and opposes key sustainable transportation projects in Nice, including tram lines 4 and 5 and the “Coulée Verte” green space initiative. The Coulée Verte, Muselier noted, transformed a former railway area into 20 hectares of green space with nearly 4,500 newly planted trees.
Governatori, who previously ran on an ecology-focused platform, defended his decision, stating he was “looking for an intelligent and ground-level ecology, not environmental sabotage like that of Monsieur Estrosi,” as reported by Le Figaro. He also dismissed concerns about aligning with the UDR and the RN, claiming, “I am at an age where I don’t care about labels.”
The fallout from Governatori’s decision has been immediate. Muselier announced he is removing Governatori from his position as president of the regional environmental agency, citing a breach of the commitments they had previously made together. “With his positioning, he is calling everything his political commitment into question today,” Muselier said.
The move comes as Ciotti and incumbent mayor Christian Estrosi compete for control of Nice’s city hall. Governatori’s support is intended to bolster Ciotti’s campaign, with Ciotti promising Governatori a prominent role on the ticket and a position as deputy in charge of “territorial food sovereignty.”
As of Tuesday, February 10, 2026, neither Governatori nor Ciotti have responded to requests for further comment regarding the specifics of their alliance or the future direction of their campaign.