French democracy has reached... Romania. Marine Le Pen, a French presidential election favourite scheduled for 2027, is likely to divide the destiny of the Romanian winner of Georgesc's first, nullified circular of elections and will be excluded from participating in the French "holiness of democracy" by the dimension of "justice". erstwhile conventional propaganda does not aid and candidates who are “not compatible” with EU policies start winning, they are simply excluded.
Marine Le Pen was found guilty by a Paris court of “defraudment of public funds”. It is about "fake hiring assistants" erstwhile she was a MEP. She was fined EUR 100 000, a four-year prison word (of which 2 years suspended), but above all the withdrawal of passive voting rights for 5 years. This means that Marine Le Pen could not compete in the next 2027 presidential election, in which she is simply a favorite. Le Pen rapidly appealed, but this procedure does not halt a ban on elections. The media indicates that the appeal will be examined in about 12 months, and that the fresh court decision may be another 3 months before the 2027 election. Consequently, Marine Le Pen may simply not be able to submit his candidacy. The spokesperson for National Unity (RN), Laurent Jacobelli, explicitly says that "the strategy is simply a mess" and is rescued by non-political actions.
Marine Le Pen and 8 Euro MPs of her organization were deemed to have been "guilty public funds fraud" of EUR 2.9 million. Le Pen, who was expected to have 4 assistants in fiction, has a “account” of EUR 474,000. The court estimated that the European Parliament's money was taken by persons who ‘actually worked for the party’. However, it should be noted that these responsibilities are hard to delineate, and that the Euro-deputies of the centre MoDem party, who supports president Macro, already had a akin case. In their case, however, the judgments were not so severe. It is no wonder that there are statements about the "variable geometry of court judgments". The RN in erstwhile years did not have its representation in the national parliament (single-mandate districts), but with majority ordination to the EP, it always had a large group of Members in Brussels. In this case, it was not about misappropriating any funds, but about spending them on work besides related to the national political structures of a organization that has had financial problems for years. Let us remind you that the celebrated case of the “Russian loan” was due to the fact that no national bank wanted to grant specified aid, although the warrant was a refund after the budget elections.
Marine Le Pen continues to favour the presidential election. The polls win the first circular with results from 34% to 37% of support. The second would most likely be a presidential camp candidate, a centred politician of Édouard Philippe, who received between 20% and 25% of the votes in fresh polls.
While maintaining the launch ban, Le Pen will most likely replace her organization leader Jordan Bardell. However, the judgement itself is causing considerable controversy. The RN executives met in Paris on Monday to discuss the fresh situation of their presidential candidate. After this meeting, the party's spokesperson stated that Marine Le Pen is not losing his spirit, remains "warry, courageous and worthy, and those who believe that this political execution has cast her on her knees are in grave error." – The fight's on! – he added.
Even politicians from the circles of the government do not spare the voices critical of the usage of the judiciary and justice strategy for political combat. François-Xavier Bellamy of the Republican organization (LR), says that "the date of judgement will be a black day for French democracy". He added that "the candidate whose polls actually lead the presidential election has been deprived of the chance to participate in them by a court decision and specified unprecedented event will leave deep scars". The head of the Republican parliamentary group and possible presidential candidate, Laurent Wauquiez expressed regret and stated that it was "unhealthy for elected parliamentarians to be prevented from moving in elections in democracy". He added that "political debates should be settled at ballot boxes, and this judgement will have a very large impact on the functioning of our democracy."
The right-wing mayor of Beziers, Robert Ménard said explicitly that "judges replace universal electoral law." Even Prime Minister Francois Bayrou expressed concerns about possible "shocks" among voters and talked about the envisaged "political crisis". Socialist MP Jérôme Guedj, who considered "a political commitment to prevent the election of the Marine Le Pen" and claimed that "if nothing should happen, the triumph of the Marine Le Pen would be a natural consequence," stated that he would, however, like "to fight on the basis of ideas, economical policy effectiveness, social issues and safety issues".
Le Pen's niece, Euro MP Marion Maréchal, responded in defence of her aunt by saying: “For decades the national camp and our household suffered all blows, all attacks, all injustices. The judges, who consider themselves more crucial than the sovereign people, decided to execute judgement in a court of law which they would never be able to reverse in a vote." She besides recalled the case of the judicial “link” at the Prime Minister François Fillon, who was a certain candidate for triumph in the presidential election, but as a consequence of the disclosure of various “afer” the election lost, which paved the way for the Elysée Palace to Emmanuel Macron. – It's not for judges to decide who people should vote for. – said Éric Zemmour, head of the right-wing organization “Reconquęte!”.
Convicted together with Le Pen, erstwhile treasurer of her party, Wallerand de Saint-Just, stated that “the court expressed its political will, not its judicial or legal will” and announced “resistance”. This politician was himself sentenced to 3 years in prison, including 1 year with a "electronic monitoring system" and 3 years of failure of passive voting rights. The erstwhile treasurer expressed his intention to appeal. The appeal is besides filed by erstwhile organization number 2 Bruno Gollnisch, who was besides convicted. In his opinion, "the judgments practically copy the extravagant demands of the prosecution".
The opposing voices only appear on the left and not among all politicians. "The law is the same for all," said Cyrille Chatelain, chair of the Greens and Socialists Group in Parliament. Maliciously, she noted that Marne Le Pen had always supported the harsh law and that it had gotten to her. “When you bargain French money, you are punished and dot”, added French Green politicians completely in the kind of our national “semaries” from the Sejm... In the presidential camp, opinions are divided. However, Renaissance organization parliamentarian and erstwhile government spokesperson, Prisca Thevenot, said that politicians should "respect" the justice system. She besides said that no poll results allowed “to stand above the law”. The Socialist organization accepted the decision of the conviction court of Marine Le Pen and called on everyone to “respect the independency of the judiciary and the regulation of law”. All this is true, but the political motivation of this judgement is apparent to all.
The echoes of the judgement have besides been widely reflected outside France. Elon Musk, who criticised the "abuse of the legal system", responded quickly. He wrote: "When a extremist left cannot win by democratic vote, it abuses the legal strategy to trap its opponents". "This is the rule of the game they apply everywhere in the world," he added.
The consequences of this judgement for the EU as a full can inactive be considered. The experimentation of “save” democracy in Romania, or the fresh “fighting democracy” in Poland, could be regarded as “work accidents”. The example of France would already point to the fresh rules of the game, which Musk besides wrote about.
Bogdan Dobosh
