The French National Assembly approved on Thursday a bill proposing up to six months in prison for contributing to an undeclared or banned free party. Backed by the government and the far right, it passed first reading by 78 votes to 67. The text now heads to the Senate.
Deputy Laetitia Saint-Paul of Horizons defended the bill during a day reserved for her group. It targets "contributing directly or indirectly to the preparation, setup, or smooth running" of an illegal free party, with penalties up to six months in prison and a 30,000-euro fine. Mandatory confiscation of equipment is included, along with a 1,500-euro fine for mere participants, doubled for repeat offenses.
Interior Minister Delegate Marie-Pierre Vedrenne called current penalties "insufficiently dissuasive," noting France attracts partygoers from countries with stricter laws. Saint-Paul exempted those acting solely for harm reduction, a concession to critics. An LFI amendment added installers of rest areas or food trucks to the list.
Debates pitted defenders of farmers, citing field damage, against left-wing opponents like Andy Kerbrat (LFI), who accuses the state of creating "illegality" by denying permits. Eric Michoux (UDR) mocked "10,000 squatters" turning countryside into "giant latrines." Scene actors, in a Télérama op-ed, decry repression driving free parties further underground.
