France to step up protection for local mayors after attacks
The French government has announced a €5 million plan to better protect and support local mayors after several have been the target of violent attacks in recent weeks.
France's minister for local and regional authorities, Dominique Faure, has announced that the government will award €5 million to better protect local elected officials, primarily local mayors.
In an interview with Le Monde, Faure summarised the plan to support local elected officials, explaining that there will be 12 measures, which will include funding for better physical and legal protections, as well as psychological support for mayors.
The announcement comes after several months of local elected officials calling for more support after an increase in threats and attacks and just days after the targeting of over 200 schools and town halls across the country during riots after the death of a French teenager at the hands of police.
The home of Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the Paris suburb of L'Häy-les-Roses, was targeted during the riots - a car was crashed into the house and then set ablaze, forcing the mayor's wife and children to flee. An inquiry has been opened into attempted murder.
But the growing violence pre-dates the riots. The mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, Yannick Morez, ended his term early after being the target of an arson attack at his home. He had become a target for the far-right over plans for an asylum seeker centre in his town.
Here is what the plan involves;
Legal and judicial protections
The first set of measures will centre around legal and financial protection for mayors who wish to press charges in cases of violence and harassment. Faure told Le Monde that the government will "make [legal protection] automatic and increase the reimbursements for procedural costs.
"Insurance costs will also be covered by the State for all communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. In comparison, this rule currently applies to those with under 3,500 inhabitants", she said.
Faure also told Le Monde that the plan will also seek to increase cooperation between mayors and public prosecutors, who will soon be required to inform the mayor each time a mayor's complaint is not followed up by legal action. Faure said that in most cases this is "because the perpetrator has not been identified despite investigations"; nevertheless, it will build up communication between mayors and prosecutors, according to the minister.
According to Faure, since the start of 2023, 1,241 proceedings have been opened into harassments or threats made against local elected officials - 72 percent were targeted at mayors.
The minister added that in autumn, a law will be presented to France's parliament to create an 'aggravated' charge for those who are guilty of harassing local elected officials, enabling judges to hit them with heavier sentences.
Psychological support
Faure also focused on the mental health of the elected official and their family after being threatened or attacked. Of the €5 million plan, €1 million will be set aside to fund psychological support, which will be accessible to the elected official or their family in such circumstances.
"Roughly a third of the elected officials I met on Tuesday admitted to having felt destabilised and even afraid. They don't want to resign, but they do need support", Faure told Le Monde.
The Association des maires de France (AMF) came out with an internal survey in May, noting that an 'alert level' had been reached when it comes to elected officials voluntarily resigning, according to Public Senat.
The association found that, when looking at about half (45 out of 96) of France's mainland départements, a total of 12,648 elected representatives (out of 512,000) had resigned since the elections in 2020. While some of these resignations are from municipal councillors and other local government workers, several hundred were mayors.
Increased security
This had already been an area of consideration, namely after the arson attack against the mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins. So far, Faure told Le Monde that 1,769 mayors had signed up to be part of a new governmental alarm system and 5,159 elected officials had registered their phone numbers in the alert system to be able to be more quickly identified and rescued if under attack.
Faure also explained that a new device will be made available: "We're going to offer a 'call button', it is a small box that can be slipped into their pocket or clipped inside their jacket which will automatically call five pre-programmed numbers until someone answers. The device will instantly geolocate the victim", she said.
On top of that, €3 million will be put aside to install video surveillance cameras and security systems in front of town halls and mayors' homes, subject to authorisation by the public prosecutor, according to Faure.
Why are mayors so important in French life?
For many people, especially in rural areas, the local mayor is the most visible representative of the state and plays a crucial role in daily life.
READ MORE: Préfecture v Mairie: French admin offices explained
The country's 36,000 mayors act as head of the municipal council, the commune's main magistrate, and as a judicial and civil officer.
Mayors are responsible for preparing the town's budget and making sure it is properly enforced, recruiting and managing staff employed by the mairie, writing and signing municipal decrees, and organising elections.
They also are charged with maintaining public order, public health and security. On top of that, they deal with complaints, conduct preliminary hearings, officiate weddings, register birth and death certificates and oversee traffic issues.
They're usually the first point of contact for anyone with a problem or question about local rules and regulations. Particularly in smaller villages they often take on a myriad of unofficial roles which might include clearing the road in an emergency or rescuing animals.
This often means that they are the most visible face in town, and as such, they can easily become the first person people direct their anger and frustrations toward.
Comments
See Also
France's minister for local and regional authorities, Dominique Faure, has announced that the government will award €5 million to better protect local elected officials, primarily local mayors.
In an interview with Le Monde, Faure summarised the plan to support local elected officials, explaining that there will be 12 measures, which will include funding for better physical and legal protections, as well as psychological support for mayors.
The announcement comes after several months of local elected officials calling for more support after an increase in threats and attacks and just days after the targeting of over 200 schools and town halls across the country during riots after the death of a French teenager at the hands of police.
The home of Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of the Paris suburb of L'Häy-les-Roses, was targeted during the riots - a car was crashed into the house and then set ablaze, forcing the mayor's wife and children to flee. An inquiry has been opened into attempted murder.
But the growing violence pre-dates the riots. The mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, Yannick Morez, ended his term early after being the target of an arson attack at his home. He had become a target for the far-right over plans for an asylum seeker centre in his town.
Here is what the plan involves;
Legal and judicial protections
The first set of measures will centre around legal and financial protection for mayors who wish to press charges in cases of violence and harassment. Faure told Le Monde that the government will "make [legal protection] automatic and increase the reimbursements for procedural costs.
"Insurance costs will also be covered by the State for all communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. In comparison, this rule currently applies to those with under 3,500 inhabitants", she said.
Faure also told Le Monde that the plan will also seek to increase cooperation between mayors and public prosecutors, who will soon be required to inform the mayor each time a mayor's complaint is not followed up by legal action. Faure said that in most cases this is "because the perpetrator has not been identified despite investigations"; nevertheless, it will build up communication between mayors and prosecutors, according to the minister.
According to Faure, since the start of 2023, 1,241 proceedings have been opened into harassments or threats made against local elected officials - 72 percent were targeted at mayors.
The minister added that in autumn, a law will be presented to France's parliament to create an 'aggravated' charge for those who are guilty of harassing local elected officials, enabling judges to hit them with heavier sentences.
Psychological support
Faure also focused on the mental health of the elected official and their family after being threatened or attacked. Of the €5 million plan, €1 million will be set aside to fund psychological support, which will be accessible to the elected official or their family in such circumstances.
"Roughly a third of the elected officials I met on Tuesday admitted to having felt destabilised and even afraid. They don't want to resign, but they do need support", Faure told Le Monde.
The Association des maires de France (AMF) came out with an internal survey in May, noting that an 'alert level' had been reached when it comes to elected officials voluntarily resigning, according to Public Senat.
The association found that, when looking at about half (45 out of 96) of France's mainland départements, a total of 12,648 elected representatives (out of 512,000) had resigned since the elections in 2020. While some of these resignations are from municipal councillors and other local government workers, several hundred were mayors.
Increased security
This had already been an area of consideration, namely after the arson attack against the mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins. So far, Faure told Le Monde that 1,769 mayors had signed up to be part of a new governmental alarm system and 5,159 elected officials had registered their phone numbers in the alert system to be able to be more quickly identified and rescued if under attack.
Faure also explained that a new device will be made available: "We're going to offer a 'call button', it is a small box that can be slipped into their pocket or clipped inside their jacket which will automatically call five pre-programmed numbers until someone answers. The device will instantly geolocate the victim", she said.
On top of that, €3 million will be put aside to install video surveillance cameras and security systems in front of town halls and mayors' homes, subject to authorisation by the public prosecutor, according to Faure.
Why are mayors so important in French life?
For many people, especially in rural areas, the local mayor is the most visible representative of the state and plays a crucial role in daily life.
READ MORE: Préfecture v Mairie: French admin offices explained
The country's 36,000 mayors act as head of the municipal council, the commune's main magistrate, and as a judicial and civil officer.
Mayors are responsible for preparing the town's budget and making sure it is properly enforced, recruiting and managing staff employed by the mairie, writing and signing municipal decrees, and organising elections.
They also are charged with maintaining public order, public health and security. On top of that, they deal with complaints, conduct preliminary hearings, officiate weddings, register birth and death certificates and oversee traffic issues.
They're usually the first point of contact for anyone with a problem or question about local rules and regulations. Particularly in smaller villages they often take on a myriad of unofficial roles which might include clearing the road in an emergency or rescuing animals.
This often means that they are the most visible face in town, and as such, they can easily become the first person people direct their anger and frustrations toward.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.