French Government spokesperson attacked during campaign action: Prisca Thevenot is candidate of the centrist alliance led by Macron
French Government spokeswoman Prisca Thevenot and members of her campaign team were attacked on Wednesday night by a group of people in Paris, the Prime Minister of France declared this Thursday.
Prisca Thevenot, candidate for the centrist alliance led by Macron (Ensemble), and members of her team were putting up election posters near Paris on Wednesday night when they were attacked by a group, said the French Prime Minister , Gabriel Attal, on the social network X.
French media reported that Thevenot was not injured and will continue campaigning for the second round of elections, which take place on Sunday, but two other people from her team were taken to a hospital.
The Nanterre prosecutor’s office stated that it had opened an investigation into a gun attack against a public official, but did not clarify what the motivation for the attack was. Four people, including three minors, are in the custody of authorities, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Gabriel Attal expressed his “total solidarity” with the candidate and her team, calling for an end to the “climate of violence and hate that is happening” in the country. “Violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy. They have no place in our Republic”, said Attal.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, from the Renaissence (Renaissance) party, expressed himself “deeply appalled” by the attack, stating that his political training “is at the disposal of victims to provide psychological and legal support.
The president of the National Union (Rassemblement National-RN, in French) and candidate for prime minister in Sunday’s legislative elections, Jordan Bardella, expressed his “full support” for the victims of the attack and appealed for “calm and appeasement.”
“I intend to be the prime minister who will reestablish the authority of the State, who will considerably toughen penalties,” declared Bardella.
