Alexandra Jaegy with AFP
modified to
1:25 p.m., May 11, 2023
Elisabeth Borne judged Thursday “very shocking” the fire at the home of the mayor of Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, Yanick Morez (DVD), in connection with the relocation of a reception center for asylum seekers, which prompted his resignation. The latter promises to “better protect” the elected officials and indicates that she wants to propose an appointment with the mayor of the city next week.
Elisabeth Borne judged Thursday “very shocking” the fire at the home of the mayor of Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, Yanick Morez (DVD), in connection with the relocation of a reception center for asylum seekers, which prompted his resignation, promising to “better protect” elected officials. “What happened is very shocking and I would like to assure the mayor of all my support,” said the Prime Minister from Salazie, near Saint-Denis de la Réunion, where she began a three-day visit.
After the elected representative of this commune of Loire-Atlantique complained of the “lack of state support” in this affair, Élisabeth Borne said her desire to “better protect the mayors”, to “respond more effectively when there are threats”, to “strengthen our action to intervene earlier, to be able to support the mayors to identify their difficulties and better support them in the face of violence of which they may be victims”.
Calls to demonstrate for Reconquest
The fact that this fire is linked to the relocation of a reception center for asylum seekers “shows that there is a rise in extremism in our country and obviously we have to be very, very vigilant on this subject. “, added the head of government. Elisabeth Borne assured that providing “good answers”, “hand in hand with local elected officials, that’s how we will avoid these rises in extremism”. Faced with the seriousness of the facts, the Prime Minister assures us that she wants to quickly propose to the mayor of Saint-Brévin, to receive him next week.
Saint-Brévin-les-Pins has been the center of tension for several months following a project to move the reception center for asylum seekers (Cada) near an elementary school, which had opened in the seaside resort in 2016 after the dismantling of the “Calais jungle”. Several demonstrations against this project were organized there at the call of the extreme right, in particular of the movement of Reconquest, the party of Eric Zemmour.