Violence against elected officials in Japan and Canada

The government presented Wednesday, May 17 its plan to fight against violence against elected officials. According to the Ministry of the Interior, physical or verbal violence against them increased by 32% in 2022. 2,265 complaints and reports were recorded. This scourge does not only affect France.

Cascading resignations in Quebec

In Canada, more specifically in Quebec, more than 300 elected municipal officials have resigned over the past year and a half. Most after being bullied. Since the end of April, the Quebec government has been broadcasting an awareness video to citizens and has created a fund endowed with one million Canadian dollars to provide psychological or legal assistance to elected officials who are victims of this violence.

The safety of political leaders in debate in Japan

On July 8, 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead in the middle of the street while giving a speech on a small stage in Nara, a very quiet little town. Ten months later, on April 15, 2023, incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida narrowly escaped an attack. He too was about to make a speech in support of a local candidate, in a public place, accessible to all, without checking the bags of the individuals present. This revives the debate on the safety of political figures as Japan welcomes the leaders of the G7.