Threats, blows, insults… Attacks on elected officials are still increasing

These are anonymous threatening letters, tags on the walls, hundreds of insults on social networks or in the markets. Worse still, attacks on elected officials, which have been on the rise for several years, are sometimes physical. At least 1,500 elected officials suffered one or other of these attacks in 2022, according to figures from the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) revealed by Le Parisien, an increase of 15% compared to 2021. “These data are being consolidated”, we explain to the AMF, where we expect the final result to be even worse. Since the death of the mayor of Signes (Var), run over by a van in August 2019, “the phenomenon has taken on an unprecedented scale”.

The constant increase in attacks observed since this tragic event would be linked to “an increase in declarations” from elected officials “who were ashamed, or afraid, and who dare more to denounce the facts of which they are victims”, estimates -t- -on to the AMF.

The regional press is full of examples of this outbreak of violence. Like this elected official from the island of Noirmoutier (Vendée), who tells the Courrier vendéen that he was hit by a jogger whom he asked not to trample the dune while he was walking with his wife, on February 5. Or the attack suffered, on January 29, by Julien Luya, mayor of Firminy (Loire), when he came to lecture young people holding a deal point, who had lit a fire to warm up. About 10% of attacks on elected officials are physical, i.e. 150 elected officials attacked in 2022, according to figures from Le Parisien.

Faced with threats, the city councilors no longer hesitate to file a complaint. Over the first ten months of 2022, the Ministry of the Interior confirms that it has already recorded 1,835 legal proceedings for attacks on elected officials (threats, insults, damage to property, violence). This is already more than for the whole of 2021, when 1,720 attacks were recorded, which was already a 35% increase compared to 2020.

A law promulgated on January 24, 2023 provides elected officials with better judicial protection by allowing “associations of elected officials, local authorities, the Senate, the National Assembly and the European Parliament to bring civil action”. This possibility is also open in the event of an attack on the family of an elected official.

At the AMF, we also insist on supporting elected officials who have been attacked. “These are victims like the others”, indicates the association of mayors, which has established a partnership with France victims to improve their care. “Most do not benefit from it”, regrets the AMF, which still has “a lot of educational work to do”.

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