INTERVIEW
The phenomenon worries the political class, and more particularly the local elected representatives. According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior revealed by the Journal du dimanche , 233 mayors or deputies have been attacked since the beginning of the year. A figure higher than that of 2019 at the same time of the year. Faced with this situation, Senator LR Philippe Bas wrote Thursday to Prime Minister Jean Castex to ask him for a "plan for the security" of elected officials. At the microphone of Europe 1, he calls for "very firm instructions".
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This phenomenon of increased violence against mayors is not new, recalls the senator. "Last year, following the death of the mayor of Signes, we conducted a major survey of all the mayors in France, and we were able to perceive that the phenomenon of mayors' insecurity, attacks, threats, the insults kept getting worse ", explains Philippe Bas, seeing" something very serious ".
"We need to strengthen the mayor's means of action"
At the time, the elected officials leading the investigation had made twelve recommendations, and "the government has taken into account some", still recalls the guest of Europe 1, who sees today "two things to do". First, he develops, "better protect the mayor, and that means instructions whose application we will verify." Because the elected official notes that the attacks are sometimes not followed by sanctions. "In recent weeks, there have been three very violent attacks, the last of which in La Manche. The mayor lodged a complaint ... Classification without follow-up."
Philippe Bas therefore calls for "very firm instructions" to the prefects and prosecutors, but also that the prefects put in place "a system of permanent support for mayors so that as soon as there is an attack, the prefect can put himself in the spotlight. disposition of the mayor to support him ". And to hammer: "It is absolutely necessary that we reinforce the means of action of the mayor (...) instead of it being an obstacle course to make sanction an offense".
"Our recommendations must not be implemented quickly," said the elected LR, who asks "urgently" for a government plan. According to him, the increase in the number of attacks is notably due to "a climate of contestation of the authority which is only worsening, and which feeds, concession after concession, by a laxity which seems excessive to me. ".