On Saturday, May 24, on the eve of the Cannes Festival closing, nearly 200,000 households in the Alpes-Maritimes were left without electricity. Several acts of sabotage targeted electrical infrastructure. An investigation is underway. Senator Alexandra Borchio Fontimp has questioned the Government.
Nearly 200,000 households were left without electricity in the Alpes-Maritimes between Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25. Several towns were affected: Cannes, Mandelieu, Antibes, Vallauris, as well as some hinterland villages. Disruptions affected the electrical network, mobile telephony, and train traffic. The cause: a series of incidents suspected to be intentional.
A pylon was sawed in Villeneuve-Loubet, a fire broke out at a station in Tanneron, another in Nice… According to authorities, these attacks were claimed by a far-left anarchist group. The hypothesis of sabotage is now central to the investigation.
Despite these events, the closing ceremony of the Cannes Festival did take place. Other sensitive activities, such as the Monaco Grand Prix, were not affected. However, the local consequences were numerous: train delays, economic losses, and interruptions of care for some vulnerable individuals.
A Direct Appeal in the Senate
This Wednesday, Alexandra Borchio Fontimp spoke in the Senate, during Questions to the Government. The senator denounced “acts of sabotage” with clear intentions: “to disrupt the Cannes Festival, cut power to Thales Alenia Space, block the airport, create chaos.” She urged not to downplay the severity of these events.
“These are not simple acts of vandalism, they are sabotages claimed by a far-left anarchist group,” she stated. She praised the mobilization of elected officials and law enforcement, and reminded that on average, 150 sabotages have been recorded each year in France since 2020. “It is the most vulnerable who have suffered from this anti-tech madness,” she added.
François-Noël Buffet, minister attached to the Minister of State, Minister of the Interior, replied by reaffirming the State’s commitment. He acknowledged the scale of the consequences, particularly for health services, and ensured that measures have been taken: reinforcement of patrols, securing of infrastructure, and mobilization of intelligence and police services.
“It is perfectly identified that these are ultra-left movements (…) that have acted militantly,” he specified, adding that the perpetrators have not yet been apprehended, but judicial action is underway.
In conclusion, Alexandra Borchio Fontimp wanted to express her support to the victims of these acts. For her, this is “a form of ideological terrorism aimed at essential infrastructure.” And in the face of this threat, she asserted: “The Republic will not yield.”
An investigation is ongoing to fully shed light on these attacks. The Government promises a response in the short and long term. The outages that occurred in a region under the spotlight have reignited debates on the security of critical infrastructure and the risks associated with acts of sabotage.
