Primarily aimed at rival gangs, whose internal fights have become almost daily in French major cities, the new set of legal tools to be created is seen by government opponents as a purely electoral measures preparing voters for the June European parliamentary elections.
Under the planned legislation, participating in a violent has a penalty of up to three years in jail and a 45,000 euro penalty ($60,000 US). Also, to counter the violent acts regularly seen during strikes and protests, wearing a face mask during such events would be prohibited so as to better identify and punish violent protesters.
A police trade union member, quoted by French newspaper Le Figaro, explained “what is worrying to us is not that much the number of fights [between gangs]. It is rather the amount of violence these guys are able to resort to. Some of them would braze nails onto a hammerhead, creating a middle-age weapon.” Almost all gang members arrested carry arms with them—which is not allowed by French law, even for knifes.
To political opponents who claim Sarkozy is again donning the hat of the Interior Minister which in 2002 helped put him in the seat of the French presidency, his answer was clear-cut: “I did not change in the slightest way, and my intent is that we now go to a higher bracket.”
The criminal figures in France tell a different story depending of who comments. The French government points to a global 15 percent decrease in crime since 2002, and a crime-solving success rate increase of 50 percent during the same period. Yet far-right and socialists leaders, on the other side, see the situation as only worsening. According to Marine Le Pen, daughter and political successor of far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, before creating new law the government should first implement existing laws, which provides a far sufficient set of legal means to fight crime.
Socialists on the other side point to the lack of prevention of crimes and insist that a close look at numbers tell a different story—less thefts, but more violence targeting people, rapes, and crimes, as well as a strong boost of financial scams.
Not going unnoticed, the very same day President Sarkozy made his announcement in the French Riviera city of Nice, in Compiegne, 60 miles north of Paris, employees of the automotive supplier Continental AG destroyed the offices of the Sous-Prefecture [local government offices]. They had just learned that French justice dismissed all charges brought by the joint works council against Continental.
Continental AG had announced it would close its local plant, leaving 1,200 employees jobless. Although Prime Minister François Fillon announced Tuesday morning that there would be no impunity for the vandalizing employees, the French government certainly will have to closely monitor the communist-style trend of violence taken by French blue collars facing unemployment.
