A worrying act that relaunches the debate on the security of local elected officials, in a context of increasing tensions.
During the night of May 5 to 6, the inhabitants of Aurec-sur-Loire were awakened by an unusual disaster. Two vehicles belonging to the mayor of the town, Claude Vial, and his wife were reduced to ashes. The flames, quickly controlled by firefighters, fortunately did not reach neighboring homes. The first observations suggest a voluntary act, according to official declarations of the town hall.
The elected official, visibly shocked by this event, denounced an attack on republican institutions. In a message published on social networks, he stressed the symbolic character of this aggression, which, according to him, exceeds simple material destruction. A complaint has been filed, while the investigators try to clarify the circumstances of this drama.
The judicial authorities are currently cautious. The prosecutor in charge of the file specified that no hypothesis was dismissed, but that no track seemed privileged at this stage. The investigations are carried out by specialists, determined to identify the managers of this act.
This is added to a worrying list of incidents aimed at local representatives in recent years. Despite the reinforced devices to protect mayors, threats and acts of vandalism persist, pushing certain elected officials to give up their functions. A situation that questions the current climate surrounding local political life.
