“After the threats, we take action”, deplored Monday, January 10 on franceinfo Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, deputy Agir de Seine-Maritime and spokesperson for Horizons, the party of Édouard Philippe. She was reacting to the attack by LREM deputy for Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Stéphane Claireaux, on Sunday in front of his home. The deputy was the target of throwing algae and pebbles on the sidelines of a demonstration against the sanitary pass. His mask was also ripped off by protesters. For Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, who recently lodged a complaint after being threatened with beheading for her position on the health pass, “the red line has been crossed” and “our democracy is clearly in danger”.
franceinfo: Does this physical aggression worry you more about the state of health of our democracy?
Agnès Firmin Le Bodo: What I said last week when I lodged a complaint is unfortunately confirmed very quickly, too quickly, on the next stage. The red line has been crossed. After the threats, we take action. Lynching a deputy of the Republic in front of his home, because he does not share your idea, that is no longer possible. It is no longer acceptable to tolerate that once we take a stand, people who are against – a minority by the way – can without any limit do this kind of act. Clearly, we are at a time when our democracy is in danger. The Republic is absolutely not that. We must be able to dialogue. It is the very principle of our democracy and the foundation of our Republic.
What do you think explains this hatred?
First of all, I fully support my colleague. I heard that he was going to file a complaint: there are images and I hope that very quickly our justice will be able to condemn the perpetrators of these facts. Then, I believe that we will have to take the time to ask ourselves and reflect on this radicalism and this violence in our society. Is the vaccination pass the trigger for something that has been brewing for a long time? I think so. But how did we get there? I ask myself the question and it is urgent before a tragedy happens, that we can provide answers.
Elected officials, who sometimes add fuel to the fire – especially in their opposition to the vaccine pass – or Emmanuel Macron, who says he wants to “piss off” the unvaccinated, should they, too, give back accounts ?
We collectively have a responsibility. Elected officials and the political class as a whole have a responsibility for the fact that we have come to this. The media also have a responsibility in sometimes not denouncing this violence. Everyone has a responsibility, but we must quickly calm the debates because this is the very principle of our democracy. At a time when the elections will arrive, presidential or legislative, I think it is important that we put these subjects on the agenda because otherwise there is a risk of a serious accident.
You yourself, after the threats you received, filed a complaint. Should we get there now?
You have to file a complaint and denounce, but that is not enough. I admit that it is not easy to file a complaint because behind it, you have to take responsibility for the people who do not admit our decisions and who continue, through social networks, their intimidation. But we must file a complaint because justice must be able to do its job. These people must be condemned.
Should the role of social networks be better regulated to safeguard democracy?
I think that this is undoubtedly a crux of the problem: being able, under cover of anonymity, to pass conspiratorial messages or threats, to say everything without sanction on social networks. Better consistent, it is undoubtedly one of the keys to a return to appeasement and I believe that it is really very important to come to your senses very quickly.