French Communist Party criticizes political leaders in Nice and Besançon

The French Communist Party (PCF) has issued criticisms against political figures in Nice and Besançon following recent civil unrest and public statements.

In Nice, Julien Picot, the departmental secretary of the PCF for Alpes-Maritimes, accused Éric Ciotti of using local incidents to fuel a political strategy aimed at aligning with the far right. Picot claimed that Ciotti is using a "security posture" to designate the left as a scapegoat rather than working to ease tensions.

In Besançon, the local PCF branch protested comments made by Mayor Ludovic Fagaut regarding the Planoise neighborhood. The party accused the mayor of stigmatizing residents following property damage during a demonstration on October 17. The PCF specifically challenged the mayor's remarks concerning the movement of people from Planoise into the city center and his insinuations regarding the motivations behind certain shoplifting incidents.