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Published last January, the book «Main basse sur la ville – enquête au Blanc-Mesnil, territoire trahi de la République» (Stock Editions) by French-Moroccan journalist Nassira El Moaddem arrived in bookstores on Wednesday, February 11. This work is the culmination of six years of immersive reporting by the author in a working-class town in Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, described as «a prime example of the worst political practices, marked by complete opacity».
A decade ago, Blanc-Mesnil swung to the right. «Clientelism, nepotism, witch hunts, censorship, racism, real estate scheming, manipulation, and harassment are entrenched in the local power structure, leading to the tragic suicide of a city official. He was among the first to grasp the town’s fate, as it quietly allied with the far right to cling to power», writes the publisher.
This system has its casualties: «the neighborhood residents, foreigners, city hall employees, opponents, and impoverished families whom the municipality wishes to push out to reshape Blanc-Mesnil into a Neuilly of the 93, serving a particular clan.» In this context, Nassira El Moaddem delivers a «chilling account of political control», employing a thorough and on-the-ground journalistic approach.
«Six years of listening to increasingly alarming testimonies, meticulously verifying each one, taking the time, reading, rereading, researching, and understanding. Six years to narrate how a working-class town with a rich immigrant history in the 93, communist for nearly 90 years, veered to the far right, even funneling 20,000 euros to a sham association led by Sarah Knafo, who was then launching the presidential campaign for her partner, Eric Zemmour», the author shared on social media, announcing the book's release.
«Do not think the story I am telling is merely a distant reality of the suburbs, far removed from your own! This could happen anywhere, even where you are, if you do not open your eyes», warns Nassira El Moaddem.
