Security Increased in France Ahead of Presidential Election
There are many things to worry about when it comes to a presidential election; security is number one on that list. For France, the threats of the election have begun to show themselves.
Just a few days before citizens go to the polls, French authorities arrested two men on suspicion of planning an “imminent” attack ahead of the first round of the presidential election on Sunday.
French intelligence agents say the two men were French nationals and were known to authorities for having been radicalized. They believe the two were ready to commit an attack on French soil “in the coming days” as they found weapons, explosives, six cell phones and an ISIS flag in an apartment rented by the suspects.
Authorities have warned the presidential candidates that an unnamed candidate’s campaign headquarters was the target of the attack. As a result, the security details for those in the running have been increased.
“We were warned Thursday that two individuals were preparing an attack on the headquarters of a major candidate. We were asked to strengthen the security of our headquarters and to limit travel by public transport. The police patrols were reinforced around the building,” a source close to centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron told local news.
French voters will go to the polls on Sunday, with the second round of voting scheduled for May 7. More than 50,000 soldiers and police will be deployed for both rounds of voting. The country has been in a state of high alert since the terrorist attacks in 2015.
“Everything has been put in place to ensure the security of this big event for our democracy and our republic,” French Interior Minister Matthias Fekl said. “The security forces are mobilized everywhere across France to ensure the security of French people and to ensure the presidential campaign goes smoothly.”