Candidates in pivotal French legislative elections make final push in torrid campaign ahead of vote
Candidates in France's pivotal and polarizing legislative elections are making their last push for the second and decisive round of voting after a three-week campaign marked by hate speech, verbal abuse and physical attacks
PARIS (AP) — Candidates in France's pivotal and polarizing legislative elections were making their last pushes on Friday for the second and decisive round of voting after a three-week campaign marked by hate speech, verbal abuse and physical attacks.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said his ministry has registered 51 verbal and physical attacks against candidates, their deputies or their supporters during campaigning for the high-stakes parliamentary elections that end with the second round of voting on Sunday. Several attacks were “extremely serious,” Darmanin said in an interview with French broadcaster BFM on Friday.
At least 30 suspects “with extremely varied backgrounds” have been arrested, the interior minister said, adding that candidates and their supporters across France’s political spectrum have been targets of verbal and physical abuse.
“National Rally’s candidates were violently attacked … (as were) left-wing candidates,” Darmanin said.
