Paradoxical relationship with authority, 'Alpine exception': Prefect Hottiaux's sharp farewell to the Côte d'Azur

Laurent Hottiaux, the outgoing prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, has bid a colorful farewell to the Côte d'Azur, offering a nuanced and humorous analysis of a department he described as "resolutely not like others." During his "goodbye but not farewell" ceremony, Hottiaux, who is set to take on leadership of the Pays de la Loire region and the Loire-Atlantique department, reflected on his "intense" nearly 15 months in the "highly atypical" Alpes-Maritimes. He echoed his predecessor, Hugues Moutouh, by highlighting a local characteristic: "In this territory, one only tolerates the power of others with difficulty." Hottiaux elaborated that this sentiment extends beyond interactions with the state, noting that "certain elected officials often lament that the state imposes this or that rule or constraint. It is not the state; it is the law," he reminded them.