The NOFI editorial team met with Stéphane Tiki, a young political leader and national secretary of the UMP, delegated to youth affairs.
By SK,
This young man of Cameroonian origin is a convinced Sarkozy supporter and proud to say so. Since arriving in France in 2005, he has been involved with the UMP with the desire to change France and help make it more pleasant for everyone. Also recently self-employed, his activist activities have not become any less intense. Between two party meetings, he agreed to tell us about his journey, his commitment, and his love for France.
WITH THE RETURN OF NICOLAS SARKOZY, WHAT ARE THE NEW DIRECTIVES OF THE UMP?
Everything will be decided after the internal elections. The party must choose between three currents: Lemaire, Mariton, Sarkozy. The elections will continue until November 29 and the UMP will adopt the line of the winner. For now, we have charismatic men such as Alain Juppé, François Fillon, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who have all served as prime ministers and are leading the party. The UMP functions well and will always be based on clear values such as work, merit, entrepreneurial freedom, justice…
HIS RETURN CAN BE SEEN AS AN (URGENT) ALTERNATIVE TO THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT, YET PARTY OFFICIALS HAVE ALSO HAD TO ANSWER FOR MISCONDUCT RECENTLY (THE BYGMALION AFFAIR, THE WIRETAPPING AFFAIR…)
I think it is essential to reassure the French people. There have been scandals, yes, but as long as a person has not been convicted, they are innocent. Jean-François Copé has not been convicted, Nicolas Sarkozy is still innocent, he has never been convicted, unlike other politicians from the party currently in power...
After that, even if some UMP members had been convicted, it would still be a drop in the ocean, with one or two people out of 320,000. You cannot question an entire party because someone may have made a mistake. I firmly believe in the principle of the presumption of innocence, so as long as someone has not been convicted, they are innocent.
We must clearly separate individuals from scandals and allow justice to do its work peacefully. It is important to say that we are here to serve people and not serve ourselves; that if we do politics, it is because we love people. The Socialists, who love giving moral lessons, struggle to apply them to themselves. Proof of this is that none of François Hollande’s promises have been kept and the scandals involving members of the government are absurd. I’m thinking of the Thomas Thévenoud affair or Jérôme Cahuzac…
TODAY, IS THE UMP MORE UNITED? MANY DIVISIONS HAVE BEEN FELT WITHIN THE PARTY ITSELF
Yes, there are rivalries, but that is normal because people have ambitions regarding the future of France. Who doesn’t? But the interests of the country come first, as do those of French men and women. These rivalries are absolutely not insurmountable. Proof of that is that everyone is ready to work, as during the municipal elections for example. We work together, hand in hand because we are here to serve the French people who today are facing problems. We must play our true role as the opposition party and provide solutions to our fellow citizens. All of this serves a collective interest.
AS NATIONAL SECRETARY OF THE PARTY AND DELEGATE FOR THE JEUNES POPULAIRES, HAVE YOU NOTICED A NEW ENTHUSIASM AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE UMP AND FOR NICOLAS SARKOZY?
There have been a huge number of memberships in the UMP, especially in the current climate. We’ve had 2,000 additional memberships since last Friday with the return of Nicolas Sarkozy. There is a real demand for change. People are suffering today. François Hollande said France would be better off with him. In the end, it is worse. That is why the right has won every by-election since 2012, except one won by the UDI, as well as the municipal elections. People realize that the only party offering credible solutions is the UMP.
YOU ARE A PROUD SARKOZY SUPPORTER, A YOUNG MAN INVESTED IN FRENCH POLITICS. HOW DO THINGS LOOK WHEN YOU ENTER THIS ENVIRONMENT AS A BLACK AFRICAN?
I arrived in France in 2005. I have a double culture and a double way of seeing things. It changes nothing, I encounter no problems at that level. I love France deeply, just as I love Cameroon, the country where I grew up. Everyone is free to embrace their history and customs. Nicolas Sarkozy has Hungarian origins, and that did not stop him from serving the French people. This shows that we can have people from here or elsewhere, as in football or music, and that these people of diverse origins bring a lot to France. Skin color matters little. What matters is loving France, understanding what we expect from it and how to contribute to it. I am a patriot, I love France. The UMP is the party of merit. The position I hold is an opportunity to do the job and I am delighted about it.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CRITICIZED FOR YOUR POSITION?
I cannot be both judge and party, but in any case, people may react more because I am on the right. Otherwise, overall, they are rather admiring of my journey. I may shock some people, but I am against all positive discrimination. I believe we are not here to be gadgets placed randomly. I believe in merit, work, reward. If someone of any color is there because of their work, then they deserve it. I was one of the first young people to have a one-on-one meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, which clearly shows that the preconceived ideas about the right are unfounded. He took time to meet me because he found me competent and dynamic.
I am against this false idea of the instrumentalization of minorities. If we take Rachida Dati, she was Minister of Justice, therefore heading a sovereign ministry. Being a minister is a privilege, so it was not just symbolic. And even if it were to project an image, why didn’t others do it? They waited for Nicolas Sarkozy to do so. At least some people had the courage to project one, if there even was such an image. Personally, I do not think this is reality. What matters is work. If you love your country, you do your best for it.
AT YOUR LEVEL, DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN THE INTEGRATION OF YOUTH OF ALL BACKGROUNDS WITHIN FRANCE?
I tell them, “Get involved,” it’s possible. I come from Cameroon, I arrived alone, my parents are still there, and I am not a “son of,” with no connections or favoritism. Everything started at my university, Tolbiac, through handing out flyers, putting up posters, debating, and reflecting. For the past year I have been national secretary of the UMP, which shows that anything is possible as long as you give yourself the means to succeed. You have to be courageous and bold, not only in politics but in everything you undertake. Nothing is easy, but we must get back up and always keep fighting. I am a right-wing man and very happy and proud to be one.
AND YOU, WHAT ARE YOUR NEW ASPIRATIONS NOW? IF YOUR PARTY RETURNED TO POWER IN 2017, WHAT POSITION WOULD YOU SEE YOURSELF HOLDING?
It may sound like political language, but I do not have any specific plans. I want to continue loving and helping France as well as my political family, to continue investing myself in it. I hope my company succeeds and that I will succeed on that front as well. Otherwise, I already consider what I am experiencing today to be an incredible opportunity. I will continue defending my values and ideas alongside those I committed myself to. I support Nicolas Sarkozy and will stand by him, just as I have stood by Rachida Dati since 2008.
If we had met in 2007 and you had asked me what my plans were, I would never have told you that I aspired to become national secretary of the UMP. I would not have said it because I never could have imagined it. What matters is doing the job as best you can, and what must happen will happen. I take things as they come, while knowing that mangoes do not fall from the sky (laughs).
WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP DO YOU MAINTAIN WITH CAMEROON?
I have not returned there in a long time, unfortunately. Political life is made up of meetings and rallies, so I do not have much time. I already do politics in France, so I cannot do it in Cameroon, but I would be delighted to return as soon as I have the opportunity.
THE WORK YOU DO IS VOLUNTARY AND VERY DEMANDING. HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO BALANCE IT WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES?
I work a lot, but when you do it from the heart, you do not count the hours. I do it with pleasure. It is good to meet people and talk with them. You never know everything and you learn enormously through contact with others. I got involved in politics because I love people and being at their service. I think closeness is very important. Besides, paying my own travel expenses also proves my motivation.
