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Newly Elected Moncontour Mayor Resigns After Targeted Vandalism

The episode has sharpened calls for stronger protection of local officials during a police inquiry into the vandalism.

Overview

  • Several hundred residents and dozens of local officials gathered Monday evening at Moncontour’s town hall to support departing mayor Olivier Pellan and to, in their words, defend democracy.
  • Pellan quit less than two weeks after winning 53.19% on March 15, saying he had to protect his family after his house was tagged and his car was scratched.
  • Graffiti reading "30.000" and "Maire OGEC" pointed to a long‑running dispute over a €30,000 subsidy for the town’s private Catholic school, according to municipal officials.
  • Two complaints are on file and the Saint‑Brieuc gendarmerie is leading the investigation; the prefecture accepted Pellan’s resignation and the council will now elect a replacement from the winning list.
  • The Côtes‑d’Armor mayors’ association called for systematic and exemplary penalties, and national figures noted a broader rise in attacks on local officials, with 2,501 cases recorded in 2024 by the state’s monitoring center.