POLL – 82% of French people want minimum sentences reinstated

Adopted in 2007 and repealed in 2014, minimum sentences are once again back in the public debate. Pointed out as a solution by some to the rising crime rate in the country, as indicated by the figures published by the Ministry of the Interior, should they therefore be reinstated? In any case, this is the wish of 82% of French people, according to our CSA survey for Europe 1, CNews and the Sunday newspaper*. A desire that unites a majority of French people, regardless of gender, age, standard of living and even political opinions.

No left-right divide

Thus, 83% of men want to see the return of minimum sentences, compared to 81% of women. Those under 35 are in favour at 71%, while those aged 50 and over are at 86%. Those aged 50-64 are the most inclined to minimum sentences with 89% of favourable opinion. On the contrary58% of 18-24 year olds want the return of minimum sentences. This is the lowest percentage in the survey. Furthermore, 85% of CSP+ respondents answered “yes” to the return of these sentences, 78% for CSP- respondents and 83% for the inactive.

While France is usually divided by a left-right divide, the issue of the return of minimum sentences is not one of them: on both the left and the right, voters are mostly in agreement. Among the former, this idea garners 72% of favorable opinion, and 93% among the latter.

In detail, the supporters of La France Insoumise are 64% in favor, those of the PS 81% and the voters of the Greens 63%. In the light of political opinions, which also includes the latter who are the least convinced of the need to return these sentences that were introduced under the five-year term of Nicolas Sarkozy. On the right, the Republicans are 98% in favor of the return of these sentences, while the voters of the National Rally are at 93%.

* Self-administered online panel questionnaire conducted on September 19 and 20 on a nationally representative sample of 1,010 people aged 18 and over. Quota method based on the respondent’s gender, age and occupation criteria after stratification by region and agglomeration category. In order to ensure the representativeness of the results, the data were adjusted for the variables of gender, age, occupation, region and agglomeration category.