ANALYSIS
Bayonne, Dijon, Nice… Prime Minister Jean Castex and his royal ministers, Gérald Darmanin and Éric Dupond-Moretti, are increasing their trips to try to show up on the subject of insecurity. Saturday morning, they were in Nice, a city marked in recent weeks by several episodes of violence linked to drug trafficking. The head of government announced several measures, including the generalization of the lump sum of narcotics offenses, the extension of the powers of the municipal police, or the creation of 150 positions to "strengthen local criminal action".
According to Bruno Cautrès, political scientist at Cevipof, this multiplication of the highest summit of the State conveys two important messages: the desire of Jean Castex to impose himself on the theme of security and public order, and the enhancement of the dimension local, territorial.
Public order and local level, "trademark of Jean Castex"
As he travels, the Prime Minister sends "a bundle of signals" on the sovereign themes of public order and security, notes Bruno Cautrès, at the microphone of Europe 1. "Themes on which Jean Castex wants to print strongly its mark ". Moreover, the head of government is implementing what he mentioned in his general policy speech on July 15. A speech during which he insisted on "the mayor / prefect couple as an essential link in public action", recalls the political scientist who believes that "the themes of security, and efficiency as close as possible to the territories, is going to be a trademark of Jean Castex ".
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By announcing the launch of an experiment on "the extension of the competences of the municipal police", Jean Castex is consistent with what he had announced ten days ago, while responding to requests from the mayor of Nice , Christian Estrosi, to grant more power to municipal police. "This is a field that Christian Estrosi has occupied for several years", specifies Bruno Cautrès, evoking a theme on which the Prime Minister has advanced "by speaking of a new stage of decentralization by giving more power and resources to mayors ".
"Words will not be enough"
For the political scientist, however, such a communication is not a guarantee of success in the eyes of the public. There is also a risk of backlash if the communication is accompanied by few results. "It is always the risk when we go into the field and announce that everything will change", explains Bruno Cautrès, taking the example of Prime Ministers or Ministers of the Economy who have visited companies targeted by social plans . "Words will not be enough, there must above all be results," insists the political scientist. "And the Minister of the Interior is a minister with a strong culture of results."