In an incident reminiscent of recent attacks on politicians in Europe, a right-wing candidate in France was beaten by black-clad attackers during campaigning for the parliamentary election. Hervé Breuil, a candidate for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party, was assaulted while campaigning in the city of Saint-Etiénne, near Lyon. His attackers wore black clothing and masks, and he was hospitalized as a result. However, he is expected to be discharged soon.
As this incident highlights, violence against political figures has been on the rise in France. In the first nine months of 2023, there were 2,387 physical and verbal attacks recorded compared to 2,265 for all of 2022. This represents a 30% increase in cases of violence compared to 2021, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.
Le Pen blamed “left-wing extremists” for the attack on Breuil, stating that such extreme violence should not be tolerated in a democracy. An investigation into the incident has been opened by the police. French President Emmanuel Macron called for an early election after his party was defeated by the RN in the European Parliament elections.
The right-wing party currently leads in the polls ahead of the election which will be held in two rounds on June 30th and July 7th. The left-wing coalition New Popular Front is the main competitor to the RN in the upcoming election
