Valérie Pécresse intends to toughen sanctions against those responsible for violence and vandalism in high schools in the Île-de-France region. A guest on RTL radio this Thursday, November 12, the president of the Île-de-France region announced a series of measures aimed at restoring security in schools affected by blockades and violent intrusions. "Those who cause trouble must pay," she declared, before specifying that students expelled from their high schools for acts of violence or vandalism could lose their eligibility for optional regional aid. This includes support programs for culture, sports, transportation, purchasing a bicycle, and obtaining a driver's license. This measure was adopted this Thursday by the regional council, but its implementation and legality are already being challenged by the opposition.
The LR (Les Républicains) president also wants to strengthen video surveillance inside schools. According to figures she cites, 50 high schools in the Île-de-France region have experienced violent intrusions, including the firing of fireworks mortars inside the buildings. She proposes that the principals of the affected schools quickly install cameras in circulation areas to identify perpetrators of violence and prevent further intrusions. The region also estimates the cost of damage to some 170 schools since the start of the student movement at €10 million. Valérie Pécresse also announced her intention to apply the "vandals pay" principle, demanding compensation from those responsible for the damage and, when they are minors, seeking to establish the civil liability of their parents.
The sanctions are being challenged by the regional opposition.
These announcements come after several incidents of violence that have marred school protests in the Île-de-France region. On Tuesday, a regional councilor was struck by a bottle containing gasoline in front of a high school in Chelles, Seine-et-Marne , while she was intervening to facilitate the resumption of classes. Valérie Pécresse also criticized the mayor of Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko, whom she accuses of having legitimized some of the violence that occurred around the Paul-Éluard high school. The left-wing politician denies this accusation. The regional president states that she has forwarded the repair bill for the school's gate to the authorities, while several complaints have been filed following the damage done to high schools.
The regional opposition, however, denounces a policy of sanctions that could have a lasting negative impact on the students concerned. The Communists, in particular, contest the legality of eliminating optional financial aid and have announced steps to have the system reviewed. The Greens, for their part, believe that depriving a young person of easy access to sports, culture, or transportation could jeopardize their social integration. The legal question remains important: while a local authority has some leeway in setting the conditions for its optional aid, sanctions must comply with applicable rules and cannot be decided arbitrarily. Valérie Pécresse nevertheless stands by this firm stance, considering that disciplinary exclusion for violence or vandalism should have consequences beyond the school.
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