French Government Won’t Ban Community-Based Election Lists, Affirms Free Speech

The minister expressed his intention not to "restrict freedom of expression during election campaigns", specifying that the Government to which he belongs is not against the idea of community lists in electoral ballots.

"No, because often these lists do not go around with a label ’Hello, we are communitarians’," the Minister recalled.

Confident in the strength of the party in government, Sébastien Lecornu refuses to take "measures before the election" and does not intend to "restrict freedom of expression during election campaigns".

According to the Minister of Local Communities, actions could be taken after the election and not before.

"There are ways to sanction a mayor who would misuse his police powers, who would disorganize the public service for communitarian purposes," he noted before adding that there are already procedures to suspend or dismiss a mayor. "[...] But we need to go further, and I’m working on it. I will make proposals to Emmanuel Macron, since he has asked his Ministers to work on these issues with the Prime Minister," he concluded.