Le Pen has been in court for some tweets of images that she posted in 2015 regarding ISIS atrocities. These were in response to accusations and comparisons a journalist made between her party and the ISIS attacks that year on November 13th. This has been dragging on since then and she appeared in court a month ago but awaits a verdict on May 4th 2021.
This whole thing is so silly to me. I do not see how anyone can think this is an important topic and it raises so many issues. First, why is there suddenly renewed interest in this so close to an election? It is obviously somewhat related. This also is not a stretch to say as it has been 6 years. I am not sure how this helps anyone, and if anything, seeing as Islam is the new hot topic as well as the fact that many French people are frustrated with the current government, it will simply aid her cause and make her more appealing to the general populace. Not the fact that she posted them but the fact that she is being harassed for it. Secondly, since when is France shy about their images on national television let alone on someone’s private twitter account? It is not like it is slander considering the people she is exposing. Also, French television (at least in my experience visiting and working in the country) consists of many images that might not make it through an editor’s criteria here in my country of Canada. They have French troops in many parts of the globe, as well as the many terrorist attacks they have experienced and produced footage of. Thirdly, I do take issue with this from a free speech point of view. However, I mainly take issue at the fact that she was responding to a journalist accusing her of having a similar rhetoric. So, it’s okay to accuse someone, but when they expose what you are comparing them to (as it’s obviously not at all in the same boat) they are liable for that? How is someone supposed to fight these accusations? I am not a supporter of Le Pen at all but this whole thing is ridiculous and media bait.
What they should focus on (If anything) is the ongoing case of misuse of EU funds as an MEP from 2009-2017. This is a much more serious and useful use of one’s time and especially the courts. However, sensational as it is, it doesn’t quite capture the imagination as much as a slightly misused twitter account in our society.
French Polarization and Current Affairs 