One of the former directors of the Paris Opera House with his partner, Debienne, M. Poligny is a superstitious, libertine man who is forced to accept the Phantom’s existence and abide by his demands. As the narrator discloses at the end of the novel, the Phantom exerted particular pressure upon Poligny because he led an immoral life, which allowed the Phantom to blackmail him. Fearful and overwhelmed, both Poligny and Debienne chose to abandon their posts instead of having to deal with the Phantom’s threats.