Elections at the Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI) : the UDECA is doing the grand slam.

The list of the French Riviera companies Union (UDECA) wins 52 seats. The outgoing president, Francis Perugini, who took the lead of it, is about to be re-elected.

In consular elections traditionally characterized by a very low turnout at the polls (38.837 tradesmen, company managers, providers of a service, 5.572 voters, that is to say a turnout of 14.35%), the list of the UDECA (French Riviera companies Union), leaded by the outgoing president Francis Perugini, won all of the 52 available seats. The list obtained 67.7% of the votes, whereas the other opposing list, the one of CID-UNATI was doing better than the one of the FN during the previous elections in 1997 (it polls 32.3% of votes whereas the FN got then a result of 21.3%).A reinforcement of the high tech sectorSo the uninominal system on a majority basis in one round allowed the UDECA to win all of the seats (see the UDECA listwhich is then fully passed). So Francis Perugini, who stands for his own succession, is practically sure to be re-elected for three years (legally he won't be allowed to stand for a third election in a row) on January 8th 2000, during the general assembly for the setting up of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Nice Côte d'Azur.The results, which have been analysed category by category (the ballot is composed of three categories), show that the CID-UNATI has had its best score , as it can be expected, in the 'trade' category (38.4%). Industry (26.7%) and services (28.3%) were less in its favour. According to the size of the companies, obviously the smallest firms composed of 1 to 5 employees have been the most in favour of the CID-UNATI (42.5%).These elections mark as well the reinforcement of the high tech sector in the group of the elected members who will have to deal with the CCI for three years. Thus Christian Tordo , Texas Instruments director, company managers such as Christian Poujardieu , Gimeca president and IBM director in La Gaude, Jean Zieger, Alcatel Space Cannes director, and André Labat, Simulog director have joined the group. Some fresh blood for the second Chamber of Commerce after Paris with a budget of 1.4 billion francs, a turnover of 850 million francs, 849 people and essential activities for the economy on the Riviera (management of the international airport, of ports , of the Ceram, etc)…