Politics as a remedy? The proximity relations of small traders with elected municipal officials

This article starts from the observation that a discourse of lament anchored in the degradation of their working conditions is widespread among retail traders. It intends to examine the representation of this lament in local spaces, starting with the case of the city of Nice, whose economic and political orientation has given a particular prominence to the group of retailers. The perspective of analysis leads us to consider both the expectations of shopkeepers toward their political representatives, and their efforts to control the relationship of representation. The article places particular emphasis on the confinement of this relationship as a condition of its fluidity, while underlining the fragility of this link.