Europe is lost. Their so-called leaders are taking steps to make sure that no "far-right" candidates can be elected. As our own Aaron Walker reported on Monday, France's Marie Le Pen, a front-runner to succeed Emmanuel Macron, has been put under house arrest and prohibited from running for office for five years. What was her conviction? A trumped-up charge of embezzlement.
Why 2 years of house arrest? Is there a risk she might steal a car? The only plausible explanation is that it is to prevent her campaigning for whoever is the RN's candidate in the next elections.
— Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry (@pegobry_en) March 31, 2025
The Associated Press reported the story under the headline, "Marine Le Pen brought the far right to France’s front door." First, "far-right" has lost all meaning. As I always say, go to CNN's website and do a search for "far-left."
For years, Marine Le Pen stood at the gates of power — poised, relentless and rising. She stripped the French far right of its old symbols, sanded down its roughest edges and built in its place a sleek, disciplined machine with the single goal of winning the country’s presidency.
In 2022, she came closer than anyone thought possible, winning more than 40% of the vote in the runoff against Emmanuel Macron. The Élysée Palace seemed within reach.
Now her political future may lay in ruins. On Monday, a French court convicted Le Pen of embezzling European Union funds and barred her from holding office for five years. The sentence may have done more than just potentially remove her from the next presidential race. It may have ended the most sustained far-right bid for power in Western Europe since World War II — surpassed only, in outcome, by Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.
"The most sustained far-right bid for power in Western Europe since World War II." Calm down, ma'am.
TIME Magazine has said that Le Pen's conviction "was a good day for French democracy." Yes, prohibiting a candidate from running for office for five years is good for democracy.
It was a good day for French democracy but the far-right may still win the 2027 presidential election, writes Cole Stanglerhttps://t.co/vlexFV9Ltg
— TIME (@TIME) April 1, 2025
Cole Stangler writes:
… those complaining about the verdict should ask themselves the following: Is it a sign of democratic vitality to allow political corruption to go unpunished? Or should elected officials be held accountable when they are convicted for breaking the law?
…
While Le Pen’s supporters from MAGA-world may think of her as the French Donald Trump, this view fundamentally misreads the source of the RN’s popularity. The party’s strength has less to do with a cult of personality around its leader than the mainstream appeal of its platform. It’s the product of ideological victories that are years in the making—and they won’t vanish without her.
… Ultimately, the RN will still need to be defeated politically one way or the other—with or without Le Pen. And this won’t be an easy task for its opponents. But the RN’s criticism of the verdict—and call for nationwide protests—is a reminder of what’s at stake in France. Like the Kremlin, Trump, and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán who’ve all rallied to the RN’s defense, the party shares a deep mistrust for the rule of law—and a healthy democratic society should be capable of rejecting it at the polls.
No bias there.
If Europe expects to survive, conservatives had better win elections.
Democracy does not include imprisoning the likely winner, you drooling fucking morons.
— JWF (@JammieWF) April 1, 2025
Define democracy, @TIME
— Rug art (@eratosthenes121) April 1, 2025
Democracy now means putting your political opponents in jail worldwide.
— JaknTea (@JaknTea) April 1, 2025
Removing candidates from running is totally a good day for democracy.
— Harry Flashman (@KamalaGrapple) April 1, 2025
How is it good for democracy to imprison popular opposition?
— pushfade (@pushfader) April 1, 2025
Putting your political opponents in jail before an election is *not* repeat *not* a "good day for democracy". Its quite the opposite, actually.
— Its A Dry Heat (@Its_a_dryheat) April 1, 2025
Yes. Arresting, prosecuting and jailing your political opponents has always been regarded as one of the pillars of Democracy.
— Travis about the Town (@KarlMarxsux) April 1, 2025
🙄
They tried it with Donald Trump.
Your perception and reality have never met.
— RW Evans (@FakeAngelof) April 1, 2025
Narrator: It was not a good day for democracy.
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