Assuming Le Pen did le crime, should she be barred from office?

an extremely balanced assessment

So, villainous French person Marine le Pen has been found guilty of embezzling European Union funds, alongside 8 MEPs and 12 assistants from National Rally, Le Pen’s political party. She’s been fined €100,000 (more than I make on Substack), been handed a four year prison sentence (which she won’t have to spend in prison), and been shafted with a five year ban on running for political office, meaning — as of right now — Le Pen can’t run in the 2027 election.

Interestingly, it’s not only the right that thinks it’s a mistake to stop Le Pen from running: a number of liberal-to-left Authorities — including Yannis Varoufakis, The Economist, and Jacobin Magazine — also think it’s a bad idea, even though they reportedly disagree with certain aspects of Le Pen’s political worldview; equally, many liberal-to-left voices think the case for barring her is as plain as the wart on your nose: she indisputably did le crime, le crime was très mauvais, the rule of law is good, she should be barred running for office, and if the shoe were on the other foot, the Right would be saying the same.

As an expert on the various twists and turns, goings on, and ins and outs of the multifarious political and socioeconomical situations and happenings within the European, Belgium-neighbouring, Britain-adjacent state of France, I feel well-placed to offer my ¢2 on the present situations and happenings concerning Marine Le Pen and the ethics of barring her from political office when so many French people are horny for an election.

Surprisingly, many France correspondents have never even been to France. I have been to France. I know what it is like.

Here is my uncensored appraisal. It has not been censored by anyone.

Let’s not be crazy about this

As I write to you, I am currently wobbling, tip-toed, on pole atop a rake atop a spear atop a pen atop a pin atop a ball atop the hump of an extremely jumpy camel; I therefore know a thing or two about balance (don’t fall), and it is from this perspective that I proceed.

It’s easy to react to the Le Pen verdict by flopping a huge, whopping principle on the table and declaring the matter adjourned. For example: