In June 2023, the small town of Denain, in the North, near Valenciennes, was ravaged by riots following the death of young Nahel, in Nanterre. This town has not finished paying the price. She was dropped by the insurers
The city’s socialist mayor, Anne-Lise Dufour-Tonini, is worried. She opened up about it to the local France 3 teams. She says that since January 1, her town, which has 20,000 inhabitants, is no longer insured. In June 2023, there was severe damage in Denain. The theater, the station, the town hall… Three quarters of the municipal buildings had suffered damage, more or less serious. Damage of 600,000 euros. The insurance company, Maïf, paid but swore that it would not be taken back again and she did not want to re-engage.
The mayor of Denain is very angry. His city had until now cost insurance almost nothing… “When the insurance does not have to intervene, there are no worries. On the other hand, as soon as an incident occurs and we need help, she is letting us down. I am very disappointed with this attitude of non-commitment in the territories.”
No other company wanted to take over?
The city put out a call for tenders, but none responded. The riots of 2023 caused so much damage that Denain’s profile became a deterrent. And so far, searches with brokers have yielded nothing.
Denain is therefore without a safety net.
Yes, and it is despite itself illegal, because communities must insure their buildings, like you and me. It is also perilous for the city’s finances. The slightest disaster would be extremely expensive in Denain, which is a poor commune and which would not have the means to cope alone. Obviously, the town hall thinks twice before organizing anything that could present a risk that would not be insured… This penalizes the inhabitants of Denain, many of whom suffer from poverty. This is the second cool kiss effect of the release of thugs and thugs.
Is there a solution for Denain?
For Denain and many other small towns which, like them, are deprived of insurance after the riots or which have seen premiums become stratospheric. The Gazette des Communes recently devoted an investigation to these insurance-wrecked municipalities. There is also a parliamentary mission underway to assess the phenomenon. In Hauts de France, the president of the region Xavier Bertrand called on the State to take its responsibilities and better support local authorities in the impasse. They are not responsible for the riots! Gabriel Attal, who received the mayors concerned, promised them solutions during the month of May.
