A pig’s head was left outside the home of a French mayor, triggering arrests and intensifying an already bitter municipal election battle in Nice on the French Riviera. On the morning of February 27, a pig’s head, cut in half, was found attached to a campaign poster for Christian Estrosi directly in front of the mayor of the metropolis of Nice’s private residence. The head was accompanied by a Star of David and a piece of paper bearing an insult.

Estrosi, who is known for his strong support for Israel, reported the incident to authorities, prompting prosecutors to open an investigation into suspected aggravated violence against a public official and public incitement to hatred or violence on religious grounds. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on March 6, Christian Estrosi said: “I am the victim of an unprecedented dirty trick.” Another regional official said about the incident: “It’s been a collection of vile acts and dirty tricks.”

The investigation has led to several arrests. Two Tunisian nationals were initially detained and then charged with “aggravated violence against a public elected official” and “public incitement to hatred or violence,” and placed in preventive detention, Le Monde reported. According to investigators, surveillance footage helped identify individuals suspected of placing the pig’s head outside the building.

Two women were also arrested and have since been released. On March 13, the Nice prosecutor’s office announced that another two individuals were in police custody and had been placed under formal investigation in connection with the pig’s head left outside the home of Christian Estrosi. The two are a 45-year-old digital marketing specialist with ties to the Estrosi family and a 79-year-old former counter-espionage officer. Both deny involvement in placing the pig’s head outside Estrosi’s residence.

Four people are now under formal investigation while two additional suspects are still being sought by authorities, France 3 Côte d’Azur reports.

The case has sparked a wave of accusations between rival political camps. Estrosi described the act as an “absolutely ignoble plot” and an “unprecedented smear campaign”, suggesting that individuals linked to his political opponents may have attempted to infiltrate his campaign team.

Supporters of Éric Ciotti, who is running against Christian Estrosi in the municipal elections, rejected those claims and suggested that the mayor might have staged the incident himself to gain sympathy from voters.

Estrosi has strongly denied any involvement, saying he immediately contacted police after discovering the pig’s head and that surveillance cameras operated by the city helped investigators identify suspects. He said he was waiting “impatiently” for the investigation to establish the full truth.

In the first round of the municipal elections in Nice on March 15, Éric Ciotti finished first with around 43% of the vote, while incumbent mayor Christian Estrosi trailed with about 31%, setting the stage for a tense second round.