Nice's opposition group Tous pour Nice, Union de la droite et du centre, has criticised mayor Éric Ciotti's decision to end free school supply kits for elementary school pupils, accusing the municipality of "abandoning the purchasing power of Nice residents" in a statement published Thursday.
Led by Philippe Pradal, the group said the cost-cutting measure had been announced "in the middle of summer," without prior debate in the municipal council or consultation with parent associations, a timing they suggested was designed to avoid controversy while residents were away on holiday. The group noted that in the 2025 school year, the city distributed 22,000 supply kits to pupils across public elementary schools and privately run schools under state contract.
The measure forms part of a wider budget-cutting drive Ciotti's administration has pursued since taking office, alongside tax reductions the mayor has framed as fiscal responsibility. Separately, the Nice branch of the French Communist Party has also called on the municipality to guarantee free school supplies for all pupils, citing the impact on family budgets ahead of the new school year.