Fears of an escalation on election night in France are growing amid a series of violent attacks during the election campaign. France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reported 51 attacks on candidates, representatives, or helpers during the 'short' campaign phase, leading to 30 arrests. Some victims were hospitalized, and the violence mainly occurred while people were putting up posters.
Among the victims is Bernard Dupré, a 77-year-old involved in the Ensemble alliance, which includes President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party. Dupré was attacked while hanging posters, and a 26-year-old supporter of the left-wing populist party La France insoumise turned himself in to the police. Dupré expressed his disbelief, calling the attack humiliating, especially in a democratic country.
French government spokeswoman Prisca Thevenot was also attacked while campaigning. One of her election workers suffered a broken jaw. Thevenot, who has a migrant background, expressed concerns about increasing racism in France. She highlighted the incident where a candidate from Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN) told her to 'go back to her island.'
In response to the escalating violence, Darmanin announced a massive police presence for election night, deploying 5,000 officers in Paris and its surroundings. This measure aims to prevent radical forces from causing chaos, similar to the extreme riots in June 2023 following the police killing of a 17-year-old.
The new elections in France were prompted by a devastating EU election result for Macron's Renaissance party, which suffered a heavy defeat to the RN. Macron called for new parliamentary elections, but his party has continued to struggle, slipping to third place in the first round of voting. The RN emerged victorious, and polls predict another win for Le Pen in the runoff election.
Concerns about political violence have intensified, with attacks on candidates from various parties. Marie Dauchy of the RN suspended her campaign after being attacked, and Nicolas Conquer of the Republicans party lodged a complaint after an attack by left-wing activists. Politicians warn that a far-right victory could spark massive protests, with Macron even suggesting the possibility of a 'civil war.'
Thevenot, who was attacked while trying to stop a group from defacing posters, vowed to continue her campaign, emphasizing that 'violence is never the answer.' Politicians from all sides condemned the violence and called for calm. Jordan Bardella, leader of the RN, and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal both denounced the attacks and stressed the importance of maintaining order in French democracy.
Darmanin announced that an additional 30,000 police and gendarmes would be deployed across France on Sunday night to prevent public disorder. The RN led the first round of parliamentary elections with 33.15% of the vote, followed by the leftist New Popular Front coalition with 27.99%, and Macron's Ensemble alliance with 20.76%. Despite the RN's lead, they may fall short of an absolute majority, leading to potential political uncertainty.
