A new elected representative of the Republic is the subject of threats. The mayor of the small village of Montjoi, in Tarn-et-Garonne, has been placed under police protection following death threats that arose after the broadcast of a video of a far-right influencer targeting him, declared the elected official on Saturday June 3 to Agence France-presse (AFP), confirming information from the daily La Dépêche du Midi.
Christian Eurgal, 75, unlabeled mayor of this small town of 190 inhabitants, has been under protection for a week after death threats were made against him by email, on the town hall's voicemail or on social networks, he told AFP. "I am threatened with everything, 'we will come and hang you high and short', 'the people will take care of you'", he detailed. In the surroundings of this small town, inscriptions on the roads indicating the direction of the residence of the mayor, with the message accompanied by arrows "Eurgal, weasel of Montjoi", were made with paint, said the elected official.
The threats began after a lengthy video by far-right influencer Papacito aired in late May, attacking the elected official, calling him a "weasel" who should be kicked out of the village of Montjoi . In his video seen more than 478,000 times on Youtube, the influencer takes the side of a village pig farmer, in dispute with his British neighbor over the use of a path.
Papacito, who had already made a first video on the case several months earlier, accuses Mr. Eurgal of having favored the British owner at the expense of the breeder, which the mayor refutes. The British owner's house was sprayed with red paint on Wednesday, according to Mr Eurgal. Investigations are underway, said without further details the Montauban prosecution contacted by AFP.
"These people put my life in danger"
According to La Dépêche du Midi, the pig farmer was sentenced in September 2022 to a suspended fine of 5,000 euros for after preventing the mayor from leaving his town hall until he signed a document. The gendarmerie finally had to intervene.
"I represent the Republic in my commune, we are in a state of law, I cannot admit that we can do horrible things," said Mr. Eurgal. "These people put my life in danger, the life of my family in danger", added the elected official who filed several complaints and indicated that he had received a phone call of support from Dominique Faure, the Minister Delegate in charge of local and rural communities.
Two individuals in their twenties were also sentenced this week to a 3-month suspended prison sentence for having stolen the French flag hanging from the pediment of the town hall on Monday, as part of a guilty plea procedure, added the prosecution, pointing out that the two men had indicated that they had seen the video of Papacito.
The Montjoi affair comes just a few weeks after the resignation of the mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (Loire-Atlantique), Yannick Morez, on May 10, under pressure from the far right opposed to a project for a center d reception of asylum seekers in his town, and after an arson attack had targeted his house.
