this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2025
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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 96 points 3 days ago (1 children)

When convicted for embezzlement, someone should NEVER be allowed to run for government offices ever again

[–] Robbity@lemm.ee 37 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Funnily enough, when the law was introduced a few years ago, her party wanted the penalty to be lifelong ineligibility. They are probably happy it's 5 years, now.

[–] Demonic74@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 days ago

Her party has no principles

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[–] cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com 55 points 3 days ago

For 5 years

[–] hikuro93@lemmy.ca 50 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

Good. Still, any real consequences for her? Like prison time? Or will she be granted the usual politician/millionaire+ special treatment and just go on with her merry life minus the extra power?

Reminds me of Portugal's former PM (Mr. Socrates), a few years ago, and 'his' 20M€. Or the convicted felon running the White House currently.

[–] skube@lemm.ee 49 points 3 days ago (2 children)

"Le Pen, who left the court before the hearing had finished, was also sentenced to four years in prison with two years suspended and and the other two to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet."

She can appeal the prison sentence, but the office part has taken effect even if she appeals.

[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

(so she’s on probation for two years in practice, better than nothing I guess.)

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[–] Ziggurat@jlai.lu 10 points 3 days ago

I believe that in French law, for sentence up to two year, you have the right to ask for an alternative to jail. And considering that she isn't homeless and has a steady job, she'll get house-arrest out of business hours. (But it's not just for politicians and billionaire, just that the average convict doesn't have a house and a steady job, so their case is kinda empty at this stage)

But loosing her right to run for election is a pretty big one.

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

You'd think "not being president" is pretty life changing, but what do I know. In any case, there is a four year prison sentence in there as well. Presumably pending appeal. I have no idea how the French penal system deals with it after that if it holds.

[–] hikuro93@lemmy.ca 19 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

"Not being president" is not a punishment. Just the absence of a reward for her corruption. If the worst she had was "not being rewarded", then what stops every other crook from attempting to seize power?

Absence of a reward is not a consequence for breaking the rules. A consequence for breaking the law is the actual punishment, and that also serves as a warning to any other people wanting to do the same.

That's what's wrong with the system we currently have, and I'm glad at least she got prison out of it. Leniency is what got us here. There's got to be actual hard consequences for mocking the system. Rules are only as good as the willingness to apply consequences for breaking them. It's that simple.

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[–] Sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works 43 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Enforcing laws on rich/powerful, novel concept in some lands.

[–] Snowpix@lemmy.ca 42 points 3 days ago

What? A right-wing politician actually being held accountable for being awful and a criminal?

Never thought I'd see the day. Good job, France!

This is honestly a fantastic development. Vive la République!

[–] Sundiata@lemmy.world 30 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Fuck its only for 5 years.

[–] childOfMagenta@lemm.ee 19 points 3 days ago

She was pushing for lifetime bans... When it wasn't her.

[–] samuelazers@lemmy.world 27 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

They are learning from America and trying a different approach... Jail extremists before extremists jail you.

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago (3 children)

So presidential! She could be our new president here in the US! Imagine that! First Felon woman president!

Man! We're busting glass ceilings!

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[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago

Wow so when a fascist oligarch tries to buy your country you are allowed to say NO?

[–] octopus_ink@slrpnk.net 17 points 3 days ago
[–] MudMan@fedia.io 16 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Normally you'd expect this to be pretty definitive, but fascists are real good at playing victims, so I'm not particularly convinced this will move things in the right direction. Electoral losses would have been preferable.

Of course if she did the thing, she did the thing. I'm saying all things being equal I want to see these idiots lose support without having excuses to target democratic institutions in retaliation.

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[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

Good. In my country, a former PM who embezzled 1.6B is on the verge of being set free, with little in the way of jail time, while a construction worker who stole a loaf of bread got 40 years. Wtf.

Edit: I got the bread story wrong. Not the 1.6B.

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[–] carrion0409@lemm.ee 12 points 3 days ago

If only America would've done this after Jan 6th

[–] O_R_I_O_N@lemm.ee 10 points 3 days ago

I wish we could do that in the USA. Must be nice to have a functional government.

[–] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

Waiting for the orange fascist to threaten France with tariffs for this.

[–] Freshparsnip@lemm.ee 8 points 3 days ago

Trump should have been banned from running for public office

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 8 points 2 days ago

Now do Farage.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What AMerica should have done with Trump

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Worse than that would be justified.

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[–] Grizzlyboy@lemm.ee 6 points 3 days ago

Elon and Trump will call France out for being anti democracy because of this. Changing the narrative that Europe isn’t a democracy anymore, but the extremely flawed American system is.

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

The French justice system wins and the USA fails.

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