Accused of wanting to disarm his police or get rid of local government employees, the new mayor of Saint-Denis is attracting criticism.

Ten days after his election in the first round, the LFI mayor of Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko, is attracting criticism from the government, which is worried about the freedom of opinion of local government employees and the effects of the announced disarmament of the municipal police.

The first line of attack against Mathieu Hanotin's (PS) successor: his supposed desire to get rid of local government employees who are not in line with his actions.

Minister of Public Action and Accounts David Amiel sent a letter to the newly elected official to remind him that he could not dismiss staff who disagreed with his policies.

"No municipal authority can legally suggest that the situation of municipal employees, their assignment or their continued employment could depend on their real or supposed adherence to the political orientations of the municipal executive," Mr. Amiel emphasizes in his letter.

In his letter, he points out that any decision "to remove an agent for political reasons would be tainted with illegality and could be suspended or annulled by the administrative judge."

The minister adds that such transfers could "constitute psychological harassment" or even constitute possible criminal offences.

This reminder of the rules comes after Bally Bagayoko, elected mayor in the first round, declared on CNews that "civil servants are first and foremost people who are in fact responding to a political order".

"No manhunt"

From the steps of the town hall, the new mayor added: "Those who, for a multitude of reasons that are their own business, are not aligned with the political project, will inevitably leave." Before tempering his statement: "It's not that we'll force them out, it's that they will be moving, a completely natural process that is nothing new."

"Bally Bagayoko is not hunting men or women," he insisted, repeating remarks he had already made during his installation on the municipal council on March 21.

The handover of power did not go smoothly: whistles, insults and jeers marked all the speeches of the former majority.

Bally Bagayoko's victory in the first round of voting put this political leader, born in Hauts-de-Seine to Malian parents, in the spotlight.

The first mayor from La France insoumise to take the helm of a municipality with more than 100,000 inhabitants, he was immediately the target of numerous racist remarks on social media.

The minister's reprimand also comes amid a controversy over the new mayor's plans for the municipal police, which would lead to transfer requests among officers.

Withdrawal of LBDs

On France 2, Mr. Bagayoko announced on Tuesday that the city would "enter into a process of disarming" its municipal police. This measure would not be immediate and would only concern the use of less-lethal launchers (LBDs).

He had also wanted to maintain "a strong, local municipal police force, by maintaining staffing levels".

But this shift would not go down well within the police force.

A source within the former administration assured AFP on Thursday that "there have been 90 transfer requests made within the municipal police" and that "there are also many departures in the rest of the administration."

With a population of 150,000, the border town north of Paris has a municipal police force of 160 officers and no fewer than 850 CCTV cameras have been installed throughout the town.

When contacted by AFP, the Minister of the Interior reiterated that "it is up to the mayor to choose whether or not to arm his municipal police," adding that "arming his municipal police with intermediate and/or lethal weapons contributes to strengthening the security continuum."

"Municipal police officers are also being targeted and being armed is an element of protection and deterrence," added Laurent Nuñez.

In response to the announcements by the mayor of Saint-Denis, the president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, announced on X on Thursday that RN-run municipalities would be "land of asylum for any municipal police officer who wishes to work for security while being supported and respected!"