She had also been sentenced to four years in prison with two years suspended, though it is unlikely Ms Le Pen will spend any time behind bars as she intends to appeal according to the BBC. It would appear the French Judiciary are more concerned about her not being able to stand for public office for five years thus making her illegible for candidacy in the French Presidential Elections in 2027. Her crimes of embezzlement, using European Parliament funds to finance the National Rally Party, are what the judiciary sentenced her for. The ban from public office will take immediate affect and this is the bit that will hurt Ms Le Pen. She was also fined €100,000 which no doubt will be taken care of and is the least of her cares.
The National Rally Party opposes immigration, and it advocates significant cuts to ‘legal immigration’ along with the protection of French identity and much stricter controls of ‘illegal immigration’. They support France leaving NATO’s integrated command and support reform of the European Union. The party has been accused of promoting ‘xenophobia’ and ‘antisemitism’. Marine Le Pen once claimed the party as being “neither right or left” something the German Nazis once claimed when designing the Swastika. Hitler claimed when designing the flag; “the red symbolises the socialist aspect of our party while the white the German nationalism angle” with the truth being, there was no “socialist aspect” just far right nationalism. Marine Le Pen’s “neither right or left” categorisation sounds uncannily similar in content.
French legislators, which she is one by virtue of her being a member of the National Assembly for the 11th constituency of Pas-de-Calais giving her a position in the legislating body, passed a less tolerance for law breakers bill instigated in no small way by the National Rally Party. So, her far-right policies on law and order may have come back to haunt her. It was the National Rally who called for “zero tolerance for breaches of law and order”! Reaction from the parliamentary theatre in France from the far-left socialists and enemies of Ms Le Pen to the far-right supporters of her has been for once - and if reports can be believed - one of shallow unity singing from similar hymn sheets though no doubt for different reasons and beliefs. The far-left party of Jean-Luc Melenchon, La France Insoumise (France Unbowed or France in Revolt), whose aims are to implement the eco-socialist and democratic socialist programme, L’ Avenir en commun (a Common future), through the French parliamentary system is one of the leading opponents of the verdict. Although he is the antithesis of Marine Le Pen, Melenchon argued against the verdict claiming he wanted to beat her in the polls not “through the judiciary.” He further claimed this verdict and subsequent banning of Ms le Pen was an attack on “French democracy” (which is liberal democracy, a far cry from real democracy). The French far-right are echoing the arguments of their adversaries on the left. They too claim the verdict is an afront to “French democracy”, a democracy they, if history is anything to judge the fascist right by, may well abolish should they ever be elected.
French legislators, which she is one by virtue of her being a member of the National Assembly for the 11th constituency of Pas-de-Calais giving her a position in the legislating body, passed a less tolerance for law breakers bill instigated in no small way by the National Rally Party. So, her far-right policies on law and order may have come back to haunt her. It was the National Rally who called for “zero tolerance for breaches of law and order”! Reaction from the parliamentary theatre in France from the far-left socialists and enemies of Ms Le Pen to the far-right supporters of her has been for once - and if reports can be believed - one of shallow unity singing from similar hymn sheets though no doubt for different reasons and beliefs. The far-left party of Jean-Luc Melenchon, La France Insoumise (France Unbowed or France in Revolt), whose aims are to implement the eco-socialist and democratic socialist programme, L’ Avenir en commun (a Common future), through the French parliamentary system is one of the leading opponents of the verdict. Although he is the antithesis of Marine Le Pen, Melenchon argued against the verdict claiming he wanted to beat her in the polls not “through the judiciary.” He further claimed this verdict and subsequent banning of Ms le Pen was an attack on “French democracy” (which is liberal democracy, a far cry from real democracy). The French far-right are echoing the arguments of their adversaries on the left. They too claim the verdict is an afront to “French democracy”, a democracy they, if history is anything to judge the fascist right by, may well abolish should they ever be elected.
The National Rally President, Jordan Bardella said; “Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly condemned, it was French democracy that was killed” The right-wing US President Donald Trump and his push to collapse the global economy could well play to Le Pen's advantage. In 1929 the US, not intentionally, collapsed the world economies with the Wall Street Crash thus giving Adolf Hitler and the Nazis the electoral fertile ground they needed. Donald Trump, through his tariffs, may well implode the global economy once again playing into the hands of various far-right, scapegoating parties including the National Rally Party in France. Could this be Trump's long term political goal, preparing the ground for far-right parties around the globe? White House advisor and far-right advocator – seen giving a Nazi salute on stage – Elon Musk said; “when the radical left can’t win via the democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents”. Once again, a case of the far-right, neo-Nazis in the case of Musk, painting a picture of thuggish behaviour by the far-left while behind the scenes it is they who cause all the disruption and mischief they can. It was Hitler who blamed the communists for the street violence while all the time his Brown Shirt thugs were causing mayhem on the streets of Germany.
The likes of Marine Le Pen are useful to the French bourgeoisie only when required usually to oppose socialism and communism if all else fails often through street violence. Marine Le Pen’s policies are beginning to connect with the French electorate and groups of the ‘lumpen proletariat’, and she was strong favourite to win the 2027 French Presidential election. The French establishment and bourgeoisie are not ready or not in need of such radical far-right policies yet! One day they may be and for this reason they keep the fascists in their back pocket as an insurance against socialism and communism. Marine Le Pen is such an insurance policy! The French ruling class probably felt that if Marine Le Pen swept to power in 2027, they may be unable to control her and the fascist racist policies she pursued. This offence of misusing money, embezzlement, and corruption must have been a Godsend to them. They could shaft her without too much of an outcry because she has broken the law. Just as the Nazi Party were banned for a few years in Germany after Hitler was imprisoned, so too is Marine Le Pen out of the way for a few years. Who knows after that the French establishment may need her style of far-right policies? It happened in Germany!
So, what could happen next? Could she organise a Trump style protest of street violence in true fascist style? Or a Hitler Bier Putsch style uprising like what happened in Germany 1923? Could she use the appeal court, assuming she does appeal, and if she does not then she will have a good reason why not, as a stage to launch her political programme? After all, did one of her mentors, Hitler, do exactly that in 1923 finding the judges very sympathetic to his cause? Could Marine Le Pen act out her performance on the stage of French Court of Appeal for the same purpose?
The likes of Marine Le Pen are useful to the French bourgeoisie only when required usually to oppose socialism and communism if all else fails often through street violence. Marine Le Pen’s policies are beginning to connect with the French electorate and groups of the ‘lumpen proletariat’, and she was strong favourite to win the 2027 French Presidential election. The French establishment and bourgeoisie are not ready or not in need of such radical far-right policies yet! One day they may be and for this reason they keep the fascists in their back pocket as an insurance against socialism and communism. Marine Le Pen is such an insurance policy! The French ruling class probably felt that if Marine Le Pen swept to power in 2027, they may be unable to control her and the fascist racist policies she pursued. This offence of misusing money, embezzlement, and corruption must have been a Godsend to them. They could shaft her without too much of an outcry because she has broken the law. Just as the Nazi Party were banned for a few years in Germany after Hitler was imprisoned, so too is Marine Le Pen out of the way for a few years. Who knows after that the French establishment may need her style of far-right policies? It happened in Germany!
So, what could happen next? Could she organise a Trump style protest of street violence in true fascist style? Or a Hitler Bier Putsch style uprising like what happened in Germany 1923? Could she use the appeal court, assuming she does appeal, and if she does not then she will have a good reason why not, as a stage to launch her political programme? After all, did one of her mentors, Hitler, do exactly that in 1923 finding the judges very sympathetic to his cause? Could Marine Le Pen act out her performance on the stage of French Court of Appeal for the same purpose?
The opposition to this verdict handed down to Ms Le Pen coming from the far-left is not out of sympathy but moreover as a tool to attack the French establishment. This in many ways was to be expected but such a cynical attack on ‘French democracy’ by the far-left could one day come back to haunt them. If, after this five-year ban, and again if it lasts the full five years depending on circumstances, Marine Le Pen and her National Rally Party eventually come to power it is a possibility all other political parties and organisations could be banned, including the trade unions. What would Jean-Luc Melenchon reaction be then? Would he, while still alive, complain about the same judiciary who he cites now as killing ‘French democracy’ for later allowing this fascist to take over resulting in his imprisonment? Or would he, under such circumstances, be asking the judiciary to lock Le Pen and her henchmen up again before it’s too late to save ‘French democracy’? - the opposite of what he is saying now! Perhaps the voice of the parliamentary left should give a little more clarity behind their arguments, not just ‘they are killing French democracy’. They might find that Le Pen is better out of the scene and while they are at it get some of their own people inside the National Rally Party, under cover, to find out what the fascists plans are once the ban is lifted!
The French fascists, relative to their development, will be at their most dangerous while the party leader is banned from public office and the far-left should be aware of this. They could in all probability be planning their future strategy and possibly deciding whether to up the ante on immigration, possibly secretly promoting street pogroms against people of different skin colour?
The constitutional avenue for now is closed to Marine Le Pen and at times like these the fascists resort to less savoury tactics! Anti-fascists in France should be preparing for confrontation both ideologically and physically with the fascists! One thing is for sure: this five-year ban if indeed it runs its full course will not make Marine Le Pen go away, preferable as that may be. All it will do if not countered properly will strengthen her support among those who are looking for easy answers in fascism to the vagaries of orthodox capitalism, which they will not find in the National Rally Party and Marine Le Pen. All they will be encouraged to do is continue blaming red herrings like immigration for the problems faced by the French economy and particularly the working-class. The National Rally Party will never point the finger at the capitalist class and their greed for the problems faced by the working-class after all, why should they? Capitalism needs a far-right, even fascist party, which is why elements within big business fund them. The National Rally Party are not going to blame the hand that feeds them and this ban certainly will not make them go away!
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
" It would appear the French Judiciary are more concerned about her not being able to stand for public office for five years thus making her illegible for candidacy in the French Presidential Elections in 2027. "
ReplyDeleteThis absolutely guarantees an upswing in votes for her party.
Whether the verdict guarantees an upswing for National Rally in 2027 is neither here nor there. An independent judicial body has after extensive deliberation found Le Pen guilty of a well planned and executed plan of embezzlement of public funds and so has upheld the integrity of the democratic process. Talk about the Deep State and the wider intentions of the judiciary is so much tommy-rot.
DeleteBarry - the judiciary in every society is an integral part of the state apparatus. That does not mean of course that they allowed the perceived need of the political class to exclude Le Pen from it to influence their judgement.
DeleteBarry an instrument of the State is also a utility of the State. The Democrats used the same to go after Trump. Regardless of what we both feel about him it galvanized support and votes for him. One thing the French do well ( and I have French family) is go berserk if they feel political shenanigans are afoot.
DeleteQuestion; do you believe the "Deep State" in any nation is a real tangible quango or conspiracy? I only ask because a constant theme in your responses seems to delineate in a binary "good versus them".
She cannot stand, if this ban holds, in the 2027 Presidential Elections. This ban will, as the judiciary know, will increase NR support. The relationship between capitalism and fascism is close, hence the secret funding by elements in big business.
ReplyDeleteCaoimhin O'Muraile
But her party is not banned from contesting the elections?
ReplyDeleteJordan Bardella had a chance of becoming PM last year. Not sure if there are age restrictions as in Ireland on him contesting it.
Early French opinion polls don't rule out Bardella and in recent 'The New Yorker' piece Cécile Alduy , a professor of French studies at Stanford and an expert on the French far right.said...
ReplyDelete"But Bardella seems to be wanting to echo or to reincarnate Sarkozy, actually, so he is much more business-friendly, in favor of low taxation, pretty open around the European Union as a market, and he has kind of, like, this bureaucratic image. He may have a better chance of uniting the different right-wing parties because he’s perceived as less of a far-right figure than she would be. He also appeals very much to seniors, which is a demographic that she had a hard time convincing."
The Telegraph are reporting that The Donald demands France ‘free Marine Le Pen’
ReplyDeleteOn Friday, the US president threw his support behind Le Pen and likened the affair to his own experience of being pursued and convicted.
“The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent, this time going so far as to put that Opponent in prison,” he wrote on his Truth Social account.
Continuing, he said he did not know Le Pen personally but that he appreciates “how hard she worked for so many years”.
“She suffered losses, but kept on going, and now, just before what would be a Big Victory, they get her on a minor charge that she probably knew nothing about – Sounds like a “bookkeeping” error to me,” Mr Trump said.
“It is all so bad for France, and the Great French People, no matter what side they are on. FREE MARINE LE PEN!”
My favourite comment of late was from the White House telling other nations not to react to the tariffs. On what fucking planet do they live thinking that every nation won't do what's right for them? Breathtaking hubris.
DeleteSteve - the Imperial planet
DeleteAs pointed out it is possible Trump, by his economic policies, may be paving the way for far right parties globally to agitate. He appears to be determined to crash global economies and such a global crash will, as in the past, favour the fascist right. History tells us quite plainly how fascist and Nazi parties benefit from such economic panic. Is this Trumps long term goal?
ReplyDeleteCaoimhin O'Muraile
I think that is right. The current US administration seems to be working to remould the globe in far right form with it as hegemon. Its chief organising principle is immigration, a strategy that has the Left floundering.
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