Suburban areas and their urban violence are at the center of discussions, and Nice Première met with Deputy Rudy Salles to hear his thoughts on this thorny issue that concerns both the French people and the government.
Violence, solutions, state of emergency, cutting off support for the families of rioters… the perspective of a politician from Nice on the “hot” issue of the week.
Nice Première: What are your thoughts on the current urban violence?
RS: Rudy Salles: My feelings about urban violence are that it is a phenomenon rooted in a very deep malaise linked to social problems, integration issues, urban planning policies, etc.
For years, successive governments have responded with inadequate measures to tackle the root of the problem. The measures have often been superficial, meant to display a relative “social peace” without providing real remedies.
And then, there has also been a lot of communication and even spectacle around these measures, whereas what we actually need is action.
NP: Do you think the curfew can provide an effective and especially sustainable solution?
RS: The curfew has had a psychological effect. It reassured the population and intimidated the delinquents.
The curfew was implemented smartly in our department, preventing children from wandering the streets alone after a certain hour and requiring parents to come and pick them up.
Furthermore, these measures allow for searches, and we know that in certain situations this can be very useful, particularly for seizing illegal weapons or stolen goods.
That said, these measures are temporary and will be lifted when they are no longer necessary.
NP: What would your solutions be to this thorny problem?
RS: To tackle this problem, we need to restore the authority of the state, parents, and teachers. We must also make sure to instill civic and republican values in young people.
The Voluntary Civil Service proposed by the President of the Republic is a start, but it does not go far enough. We need a real, compulsory Universal Civil Service that all young people can benefit from and that also allows for the mixing of youth, as the old Military Service did.
I do not believe that the mere volunteerism proposed is a measure suited to this situation. I also believe that strong measures are needed to promote employment, and I will soon make proposals in this regard. Furthermore, there needs to be an ambitious housing policy. The current situation, particularly in Nice, is disastrous.
NP: In your opinion, should the state of emergency be prolonged?
RS: The state of emergency should be extended for a maximum period of three months, but beyond that, I hope we will no longer need it.
NP: The Mayor of Draveil has suspended aid to families where a member has participated in violence. What do you think about this?
RS: Regarding cutting off aid to families, we need to be very cautious.
Of course, the aid must go to what it was truly meant for, which is to help the most needy. However, there can be misuse or even cases where they are given to families who, on the other hand, have children who have damaged public or private property, which the community will have to repay or rebuild.
So, there needs to be measures that hold those who benefit accountable. We cannot expect everything from the community and allow it to be harmed.
Just measures must be implemented to avoid these paradoxical situations that the public legitimately can no longer tolerate.
