In Nice, the question exercising prosecutors is not whether the trains run on time, but whether the town hall's cars were driving for the city — or for the couple running it. A preliminary inquiry reportedly targets Christian Estrosi, former mayor, and his wife Laura Tenoudji, a France 2 presenter, for “handling misappropriated public funds”. At issue: the alleged use of municipal drivers for private journeys.
What the inquiry covers
According to France 3 Régions, the Nice prosecutor's office reportedly opened a preliminary inquiry on 9 May 2026 for “handling misappropriated public funds”. Investigators would be seeking to establish whether municipal drivers were used for journeys with no direct link to local public service, for the benefit of the elected official or his wife.
The facts under examination would span a long period: the years Christian Estrosi spent running Nice town hall, up to his departure in November 2025. A broad scope, leaving investigators a vast field to clear.
Drivers already questioned
According to the reported details, one municipal driver was said to have already been questioned by investigators in April, and two other officers, assigned exclusively to the elected official at the time, are reportedly due to be heard shortly. The investigation would be handled by the local judicial police, who, at this stage, would have only a partial view of the file.
Nice was famous for the Promenade des Anglais. It turns out the officials' outings could make it into a court file too.
A heavyweight of the right, a familiar TV face
Christian Estrosi, a figure of the French right and mayor of Nice for nearly eighteen years, and Laura Tenoudji, a familiar face on France 2, are a couple with high media exposure. That fame gives an affair of municipal drivers a resonance well beyond the Alpes-Maritimes.
At the heart of the file lies a classic boundary in cases involving elected officials: the line between official travel and personal journey. It is precisely on that line that investigators will have to rule, by establishing the true nature of the trips made.
Magouilles & Compagnie verdict
At this stage, neither Christian Estrosi nor Laura Tenoudji has been placed under formal investigation: a preliminary inquiry is not a conviction, and the presumption of innocence fully applies. Still, the subject is as old as the Republic: when a public resource takes a private turn, it rarely ends as a mere wrong turn.
⚖ Your verdict Live
In your view, is this a case of magouille — or calomnie?
📚 Sources
- France 3 Régions / franceinfo — Les époux Estrosi et les chauffeurs municipaux : une enquête ouverte
- Orange Actu — Nice : une enquête vise les époux Estrosi pour des soupçons de détournement de fonds
- Epoch Times — Nice : les époux Estrosi visés par une enquête sur l'usage des chauffeurs municipaux
❓ FAQ
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