Election in France: “Outbreaks of violence are feared”

More than 50 candidates and their supporters have been attacked ahead of the second round of French parliamentary elections.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said politicians across the spectrum had been subjected to verbal and physical attacks – often while hanging campaign posters.

He told BFM that some of the attacks were “extremely serious” and that the three-week campaign had been marred by violence that had led to some victims being hospitalised.

He confirmed that there would be a stronger police presence on the streets during Sunday’s vote, but warned: “Outbreaks of violence must be expected.”

At least 30 suspects with “extremely different backgrounds” have been arrested so far – including right-wing extremists National Rally The targets also included candidates and left-wing politicians.

Tensions remain high after the President Emmanuel Macron The EU had surprisingly called the elections for June 9 after suffering a crushing defeat in the European Parliament elections against the far-right Rassemblement National.

The Rassemblement National, led by Jordan Bardella, secured the most votes in the first round of voting on June 30.

However, the party’s success was not enough for an overall victory that would have enabled it to form France’s first far-right government since World War II.

Sunday’s vote will determine whether anti-immigration parties gain an absolute majority in parliament – a first in France – and could mark a historic turning point that reflects broader trends across Europe.

Mr Darmanin said 30,000 police officers would be on duty on Sunday, including 5,000 in the Paris region.

Meetings outside the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, were banned.

But a group called “Antifascist Action Paris Suburbs” called for a protest rally in front of the building on Sunday evening as the results are in.

Government spokesman Prisca Thevenot was one of the youngest victims of violence.

The candidate of Macron’s Ensemble alliance was attacked by a group on Wednesday evening, along with a member of parliament and a party activist, as they put up election posters in Paris.

This resulted in the MP and party activist being taken to hospital and four people – three of them under the age of 18 – being taken into custody.

A few hours after her attack, Ms Thevenot spoke in an interview with TF1 about her concerns as a person of Mauritian descent in view of the “complicated” political situation in France.

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She said: “I say this not only as a government spokesperson, but rather as the daughter of immigrants and the mother of mixed-race children.

“They no longer do this anonymously, but with their faces uncovered and even with a certain pride.”

Many people have expressed concern that growing electoral support for the Rassemblement National has made many people in public more comfortable using racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic language.

Rassemblement National candidate Marie Dauchy was attacked during a campaign rally at a food market on Wednesday.

This led to her abandonment of the race after Marine Le Pen called two men allegedly responsible for the attack “cowards.”

Meanwhile, in the Alps, 77-year-old local official Bernard Dupre was beaten while putting up election posters for former Health Minister Olivier Veran.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said: “Let us reject the climate of violence and hatred that is spreading there.”

“This climate (of violence) is deplorable,” Ms Le Pen also said in a television interview.

A candidate from Macron’s campaign team had to be provided with private security guards by her party after she became the target of anti-Semitic insults.

Leaflets directed against black people were also found in mailboxes in the Paris suburb of Chatou.