Philippe Baudrin says he is "delighted". This Thursday, the UDI Mayor of Maing (North) met with Sébastien Lecornu, Minister in charge of Territorial Communities, to discuss the attacks on elected officials within the framework of their mandate. They were ten mayors to testify today to the minister. "I am delighted because the minister listened to us and he took the time to hear each of our stories," said Nathalie Lévis.
The attack on Philippe Baudrin only dates back a few weeks. On August 20, local residents call him to report a wild camp of Travelers on a common ground. Arrived on the spot, one of the occupants attacks it with a punch. Reinforcements and help are slow to arrive. "I realized at that moment that by dialing the 17th, the minutes were very long before the security forces dropped out," recalls the mayor of Maing. Hence his first proposal to the Minister: "I pointed out to the Minister that it is absolutely necessary to create an emergency number for elected officials in the event of difficulties or aggression, in order to alert the forces of the order as soon as possible, and be geolocated. " His suggestion seems to have been heard: "The minister said that it would be done in the future," said Philippe Baudrin on Europe 1.
Promises of measures from 2020
If the state finances their legal fees and the psychological support they need, the mayors now demand measures guaranteeing their security upstream. "I am mayor of a commune of 4000. We have only one municipal police officer because there is of course a question of budget." On this subject too, Philippe Baudrin goes with his proposal: "I asked that the training of judicial police officer that we propose to the elected of the North is mandatory from the first weeks of term of office." Sébastien Lecornu assured the town council that this measure would be put into practice in 2020.
In 2018, 361 French mayors were attacked, 40% of them physically. According to Philippe Baudrin, the response of the state begins to be heard. "I think the trigger is the tragic event of the death of the mayor of Signes in the Var." On August 5, Jean-Mathieu Michel, Mayor of Signes since 1983, was hit by a van when he saw several individuals illegally unloading rubble on a private road. "When I was assaulted, the police took the problem right away, and I think the follow-up is much more important since Signes' drama."
To reassert the authority of the mayors of France, the state already put on the bill Commitment and Proximity, which will grant them the power to sanction the shutters. A new measure that satisfies Philippe Baudrin. For him, there is no question of giving up. "I'm not worried, I'm excited, what brings me is what we do day-to-day in the field." In 2020, he will be a candidate again.