France’s government spokesperson attacked on campaign trail

In the final days leading up to France's high-stakes parliamentary elections on Sunday (July 7), several candidates, including government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot, have reported being attacked on the campaign trail.

The French interior minister on Thursday (July 4) said that 30,000 police officers will be deployed on voting day, including 5,000 in the Paris region.

Anxiety is high as left-wing and moderate groups try to prevent the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally from winning an absolute legislative majority, which would be a first and a major historical shift for France.

Candidates have reported experiencing both hate speech and physical violence during the brief and polarising campaign for the snap elections.

Thevenot, a candidate for the centrist Ensemble alliance led by President Emmanuel Macron, said she and a deputy and a party activist were putting up election posters in Meudon near Paris on Wednesday night when a group attacked them.

Thevenot’s deputy and the party activist were taken to a hospital.

She said the reason for the attack was being investigated. The prosecutor’s office said it opened an investigation into a gang assault with a weapon against a public official.

Four people, including three minors, are in custody, prosecutors said.

(With inputs from agencies)