After the excitement, the solutions.
The National Assembly adopted on Wednesday at first reading a senatorial text aimed at better protecting local elected officials, who are increasingly confronted with violence, in particular by toughening criminal sanctions against their perpetrators.
This bill, adopted by a large majority, “is the refusal of fatalism, trivialization and impunity” and “a message of recognition to mayors and local elected officials”, rejoiced the rapporteur Renaissance Violette Spillebout.
After the Assembly's alterations to the text adopted in the Senate, the two chambers will now have to agree on a common version.
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One of the key measures is the alignment of the sanctions provided for, in the event of violence against local elected officials, with those provided for violence against holders of public authority, such as the police.
An unnecessary “criminal escalation”, protested LFI, the only group to vote against the text.
All other political groups gave their support, including the RN, despite its “disappointment” in the face of sanctions considered insufficient.
Community service sentence
The text also creates a community service penalty in the event of public insults against persons holding public authority, and local elected officials, a measure extended by deputies to insults and defamation.
An aggravating circumstance has been provided for cases of harassment, particularly online, when the victim holds an elective mandate.
Despite criticism, the deputies also validated the extension, from three months to one year, of the limitation periods in cases of insults and public defamation when they target an elected official or a candidate for office.
These offenses are provided for in the 1881 law on freedom of the press, and deputies, like the government, expressed their reluctance to touch this emblematic text for these cases alone.
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Elected officials “are much more widely exposed” than individuals, defended Violette Spillebout.
Stressing that the limitation period extended to one year already existed for individuals insulted or defamed “because of their origin, their religion or their gender”.
The Assembly also gave the green light to the creation of an aggravating circumstance when attacks on the private life of a candidate for local office are committed during a campaign.
Among the other measures is the automatic granting of “functional protection” to mayors and municipal elected officials with an executive mandate, when they are victims of attacks or insults.
The rapporteur called on the government to be able to subsequently extend this system of protection and assistance measures to all local elected officials.