Fully two-thirds of French citizens would eschew the idea of their own political candidacy for fear of their own and their family’s safety, says the Fiducial/Odoxa “security” barometer performed for Le Figaro, conducted preceding the most recent increase in violence against elected officials.
Astoundingly, the results illustrate the events even before the rioting in Nanterre subsequent to the death of Nahel, 17, who was shot dead by police early last week. Since then, several mayors have been targeted, the most noteworthy being Vincent Jeanbrun, whose residence in L’Ha-les-Roses (Val-de-Marne) was attacked by a ram truck.
In addition, 86% of French nationals believe that politicians endure a greater threat to their safety than ever before.
As a result, only 34% of French people consider that the security of local elected representatives is adequately guaranteed, a decrease of nine percentage points in one year’s time. The difference in the “fear gauge” with respect to other political offices at regional and national levels is immense, however: Eighty-four percent of respondents said that the security of ministers, MPs, and senators is “very” or “fairly” well-assured.
The general sentiment remains clear, though: Almost nine out of ten of those polled felt that individuals active in politics are either “somewhat” or “much” more endangered than they were previously. The majority of respondents (55%) feel that these threats are the product of an “increasingly violent” culture, and a sizable number (44%) attribute the development to social media, which “amplifies the anger of some French people.”