Robert Ménard, the center-right mayor of Béziers, brought his total support for Jordan Bardella on BFMTV following the attack on the president. While the National Rally leader was signing books, a 74-year-old man approached him and broke an egg over his head. The man was immediately arrested.
Following this attack, Robert Ménard reacted strongly, defending Jordan Bardella and expressing outrage at the violence that had entered the political debate. Robert Ménard stated:
“I am stunned by the violence that the political debate has taken. First, I would like to express my full sympathy to Jordan Bardella.” These are unacceptable practices. These are acts of violence that must be condemned. Jordan Bardella has my full sympathy. You know, political differences are one thing. Jordan Bardella is not my enemy, any more than anyone else among politicians. We are adversaries, we can discuss things, we can have genuinely different convictions, but first and foremost, we respect each other.
Robert Ménard then urged the left to support Jordan Bardella: “God knows I’m not on the left. I would be among the first to be outraged by it, there’s no question about it. Today, everything is being confused: the debate of ideas, the differences of opinion. I can’t imagine not condemning, if Mr. Mélenchon were the victim of an attack tomorrow, not condemning his attacker and the attack itself. And I would tell him so. It seems like the bare minimum…”
