Pensions: Darmanin Asks Prefects to ‘Firmly’ Keep Protecting Elected Officials

After Emmanuel Macron’s decision on the 49.3 pension reform, the government must now deal with awakening social anger. Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin sent a message to all prefects on Thursday evening asking for maximum “vigilance” and “full mobilization to guarantee the safety of all elected officials of our republic.” »

“Elected officials, especially parliamentarians, are sometimes the target of threats, insults, insults or malicious acts such as damage to property. These acts of intimidation and violence are unacceptable,” the minister’s telegram read, which Le Parisien was able to read. “I ask you to firmly support the system, implemented in accordance with my previous instructions, in order to prevent any attacks on elected officials and promptly respond in the event of an incident. »

Monitoring near elective offices

This system includes “surveillance of parliamentarians’ offices and their homes” as well as “increased social media monitoring” or even “informing elected officials of the steps to be taken in the event of an incident,” Gerald Darmanin points out. Earlier in the evening, the patroness of Renaissance deputies, Aurora Bergé, asked the interior minister to “mobilize the services of the state” to “protect the parliamentarians” of the majority, who were targeted by opponents of pension reform.

“I refuse to see deputies from my group or any deputies of the People who are afraid of their individual expression, afraid to vote freely because they fear reprisals,” the elected official wrote in a letter to the minister. “Following the letter you sent me (…), I would like to confirm that the protection of elected officials is now and more than ever the priority of the Minister of the Interior,” replied Gérald Darmanin.

“Possible overflows”

The launch on Thursday by Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne of the 49.3 constitutional arms to finally pass the pension reform without an Assembly vote was followed by rallies in several French cities and demonstrations full of tension.

Several trade union representatives in the transport and energy sectors also warned against possible “excesses” or “individual actions” of rank-and-file employees. Parliamentarians from the majority, as well as from the LR, have already suffered from power outages or deterioration in status.