this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2025
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Love to see it. This will restore some confidence into the system, and is medicine against hopelessness, one of the biggest weapons of the fascists.
It will not restore the confidence in those who voted in her so you’ve convinced people who are already convinced. Le Pen is a symptom and a new one will raise in her place until actual issues are resolved. See Romania and unknown candidate catapulted into spotlight in just a few months. They’re playing whack-a-mole now and that can’t go on indefinitely. And no, Russia is not the cause, they just exploit circumstances of our own making.
Le Pen is a symptom, yes, but she was not convicted for "the wrong opinions " or whatever. This trial was not political, it was not about "convincing" anyone.
She was convincted for embezzlement of EU funds. The right is free to follow the law, but alas, they choose not to. All over the world it's clear that those forces who are in favour of fascism are also the same who constantly break the law, as was the case in Romania.
For the record, I agree that the neoliberal status quo represented by traditional conservatives and social democrats needs to die, but I simply like it when crimimals get what they deserve.
I don’t need to be convinced that Le Pen tried to cheat in many different illegal ways. I honestly don’t see her being different to many mainstream politicians but I know the type and they are usually guilty of something. One thing to worry is that this ruling was law being applied selectively,
The other worry is that Le Pen family has been in the game since the 70s but their political movement got parliamentary representation only somewhat recently. In the meantime both Le Pens made it even to the presidential runoffs. That simmering anger is very authentic for them which is a very powerful political force.
I don’t think you can diffuse this situation by taking the opponent off the board, especially given that their voters will be even more pissed. To me doing this is like kicking can down the road. Those kicking the cans are personally prepared for what comes next by enriching themselves but as a regular guy I’m kind of worried.
Now the trickier question is, is Le Pen or National Front really far right? They just voted for enshrining right to abortion in French constitution, something many liberal Eastern European governments would be opposed to. If not then what is it that’s she’s being persecuted for? French are not that concerned with Putin and would probably stomach their own Berlusconi type. Those traditional divisions make less and less sense these days but we keep reverting to those old labels.
After what I wrote I would consider myself to be concern trolling so let me end this with wishing plagues upon Marine Le Pen for aligning herself with Putin.
I understand your point, while the details of the misuse of funds that have emerged during the trial could damage the her party standing, it is also very much possible that the opposite will happen. Afterall they are populists and I would not expect them to actually agree in any wrongdoing.