“Increased vigilance. Gérald Darmanin’s motto can be summed up in two words. In a telegram recently sent to the prefect of police of Paris, to the prefects, to the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), to the director general of the national police and to that of the national gendarmerie – which we were able to obtain -, the Minister of the Interior asks the security forces to be “fully mobilized”. “As part of the social mobilization against the pension reform, elected officials, particularly parliamentarians, are sometimes the subject of threats, insults, insults or even malicious acts such as damage to property” , it is recalled.
A specific unit of the Ministry of the Interior assesses situations on a case-by-case basis: in this regard, a generalist measure would be extremely difficult to put into practice and, moreover, ineffective. “Everyone will understand that you cannot place a static guard, which requires enormous resources, in front of 577 standbys. Nor can we protect all elected officials. A principle of gradation of threats necessarily applies, ”underlines a police source. Emphasis is also placed on monitoring social networks, which make it possible to “detect any threat or any possible hate message”.
“To respond effectively to this growing phenomenon, it must be understood. Thanks to this light management structure, we will go much further in the analysis of the data. With the help of all the competent services mobilized, we will be able to have a very precise quantification, mapping and classification of these acts, ”explains Dominique Faure to Le Point.
In order to understand the context of these attacks and to obtain precise information on the motives of their perpetrators, the Minister is also increasing her meetings with local elected officials who are victims or witnesses of malicious acts and is in very regular contact with parliamentarians. threatened or attacked. “I know I can count on the full mobilization of our security forces. All the elected officials I met attacked told me that the gendarmes intervened very quickly, ”says Dominique Faure.
So much for prevention and control. But, to ensure the protection of elected officials, work has also been started with the cabinet of the Keeper of the Seals, Éric Dupond-Moretti, on the essential question of deterrence. The teams of the two ministers are working on a bill aimed at increasing the sanctions against the authors of threats. They now face ten years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros. “This work is progressing well. We will submit this text to the national representation in the coming weeks, ”says those around Dominique Faure. This law comes in the wake of another bill passed by both Houses of Parliament on January 24. This now allows assemblies of elected officials but also associations of elected officials to become civil parties when a deputy files a complaint.
??”Dirty Jewish sow, Zyklon B”. This is what I received. I never imagined when I joined that I would suffer anti-Semitism, sexism, violence. I am also thinking of the other targeted elected officials. But political commitment is still necessary. Don’t give in to hate. Never. pic.twitter.com/cz96oPER8j
“This cell should make it possible to provide legal assistance to elected officials and their collaborators by allowing them to be in contact with the competent authorities without replacing the judicial authority. At party headquarters, we can help qualify the facts, direct our elected officials to the right services, to competent lawyers and court officers, ”explains Loïc Signor, spokesperson for Renaissance. A listening unit has also been set up to help those who request it.
