Violence against elected officials: why is it decreasing?

Published on May 20, 2025 at 5:23 p.m.

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Rally in support of elected officials who have been victims of attacks and in defense of republican values organized by Jean Pierre Rico in front of the town hall of Pérols (Hérault), on February 14, 2025, following his attack in the town hall by a citizen who demanded accountability from him. Guillaume Bonnefont / IP3 PRESS/MAXPPP

In 2024, nearly 2,500 attacks against elected officials, primarily mayors, were recorded, according to a ministerial report published Tuesday, May 20. This 9% decrease in the number of cases compared to 2023 is partly explained by the growing awareness of this violence and legislative changes.

The scene unfolded on Saturday, May 3: a municipal councilor attempted to intervene during an urban rodeo in the small town of Gauriaguet (Gironde), population 1,500. The altercation escalated, and the forty-year-old was violently struck in the head. This was yet another example of violence against elected officials. However, violence against elected officials decreased by 9% between 2024 and 2023, according to the ministerial report from the Center for Analysis and Combating Attacks on Elected Officials, published on Tuesday, May 20.

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