The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, issued a Declaration on Friday evening, 6 March 2026, revealing he has been the victim of “an unprecedented smear campaign” in the run up to the municipal elections, which has resulted in the arrest of two suspects.
The arrests took place “right before my eyes”, the mayor said in a post on social media.
He revealed his physical safety had been endangered, and said he was left with “legitimate questions” as to whether the smear campaign was led by “organised mafia” or interference from a foreign country. “Are these opponents capable of the worst?” he asked.
Estrosi commended the prosecutor and investigators whose hard work “led to the arrest of two individuals suspected of a deliberate and extremely serious act at my home. Their backgrounds, as revealed by the prosecutor, are particularly chilling.”
The mayor revealed that one of his staff members was questioned as a witness.
He also disclosed that “one of the accused attempted to infiltrate my inner circle and interfere within my campaign team”.
The investigation is ongoing, and Estrosi said he will not give up. His lawyer plans to file a civil suit.
Estrosi said: “I want to emphasize that this individual only had superficial contact with me and did not participate in any of my campaign meetings. After the insults, after the assaults, after the despicable staged events, the underhanded tactics continue. This is a disgraceful escalation.
“Nothing will deter me from the people of Nice. They can put up all sorts of obstacles, spread all sorts of falsehoods, multiply the most despicable attacks: nothing will shake my resolve. Some have sunk very low by trying to get to me personally.”
The 2026 Nice municipal elections are scheduled to take place on March 15 and 22, 2026.
